It's A Grimm Life
by ShaneColton
Summary: When Finley arrives in Portland, she had no idea how her life will change. Thinking she was crazy for seeing monsters, she has just traveled around for three years, leaving behind friends and college. When she meets Captain Renard, it doesn't go well, but he soon assures her she isn't crazy. Can this Grimm break through some of the Royal's walls? Or will they destroy each other?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO GRIMM OR THE CHARACTERS OF GRIMM. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL CHARACTER AND MY STORY LINE. **

**(There is not enough RenardxOC fiction, so here is one I hope you enjoy. This will probably get edited again, so this is kind of a rough draft.)**

When I had driven to Portland, I had no idea what to expect. I had been traveling around for some time now, just trying to stay out of trouble. It followed me everywhere, despite my tries to avoid it. The monsters were seemingly everywhere one could go, but why was I the only one to see them? The question plagued me.

Parking at my hotel of choice, I stepped from my Subaru WRX and stretched. I had been in the car for the last six hours and it felt amazing to move my stiff body around. The day was warm, beautiful, and I could tell it had rained not long ago. Opening the trunk of my car, I grabbed my Army duffel bag and put the strap over my shoulder. I had found the bag about six months ago at a military surplus store, and it was great.

I stepped into the cool hotel lobby and sighed. Not a bad place. Upon reserving a room, I took the stairs to the fourth floor. They had an elevator, yes, but it was important for me to stay fit. I wasn't even out of breath at the top, and I smiled as I entered the room. It was small but nice, perfect for my needs. I dropped the duffel bag on the bed and sighed. My stomach was growling so I figured that I needed to go and eat somewhere.

Leaving the hotel, I decided to check out Portland on foot. My Nike's were great for walking and for running, in case that was needed. Hitting up a burger joint that looked good, I got my food to go and ate the delicious burger as I explored the town. It really was beautiful.

After finding a garbage can in which to toss my trash, I was about to head back to the hotel when an unmarked police car, followed by a black SUV, pulled up at a house a block or so away. I decided to check it out. Two men, both pretty good looking, stepped from the car, hands on their weapons. A much taller, _much_ better looking man stepped from the Tahoe, and looked around. He was wearing a suit, unlike the other two, and he looked very professional. Regal, even. I walked across the street with the crowd, and moved to the front so I could see.

Two cops entered the house and soon came back out with a man in handcuffs. He was yelling, loudly, and that was when it happened. The angry man's face shifted into some sort of reptilian creature. I gasped, but no one else seemed to notice. The tall man in the suit, another cop I assume, was standing close enough to hear me and his head whirled in my direction. My blue eyes widened and I glanced between him and the man who was still looking like some sort of reptile. The tall man narrowed his eyes at me and then stepped in my direction.

Not knowing what else to do, I pushed my way through the crowd and ran. I heard him tell the other officers that he had it, right before I turned a corner around a building. My feet slapped the pavement, and I figured that wearing tennis shoes gave me the edge. He couldn't possible run that fast in leather dress shoes.

I heard him round the corner behind him so I took the next left. Not knowing Portland well, I had run straight into a dead end. Also unsure if he was a cop or why he was chasing me, I turned on my heel and my fist connected with his face as soon as he rounded the corner. He groaned and bounced back a bit, but it was only mere seconds before he had recovered. The man had a good punch that made me see stars.

My hand slipped the knife that was hidden in my pants and I swiped at him. I managed to slice through his suit and I saw blood leak from the cut on his arm. It was then that his face changed too. So he was a monster too. He got stronger and threw me against the side of whatever brick building that happened to be. My wrist smacked hard and knife dropped from my grasp. He was on me before I could move and his strong body pinned me to the wall. "Stop." He growled, his face shifting back to normal. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He let go and backed away, hand on his gun. I glanced down at it and saw a badge too. Great, now I would be arrested for assaulting an officer. I held my hands up in surrender than used one to wipe blood from my busted bottom lip. "Sorry. But you're a…a…" I didn't really know what to call it.

"Zauderbeist. Half, actually. But I'm also the Captain of the Portland Police Department. Why did you run from me? I was merely going to ask you why you gasped at the sight of the cuffed man. But I have my answer now. You're a Grimm." He was watching me intently, not at all concerned by his bleeding arm and the cut near his eye where my fist had split the skin open.

"A what?" I asked, slowly lowering my hands. We were both still on guard, though.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "A Grimm. You've never heard that term?"

The term was almost completely unfamiliar. I had heard several who had attacked me mutter it, but it met nothing to me. The only Grimm I had ever heard of were the fairytales from my childhood.

"I've heard it a few times, but always from people who were either attacking me or running from me. People like you, I suppose."

His hand left his gun and he stepped around me, picking up the knife. "Sheath?" He asked, holding out his hand. Rather reluctantly, I pulled the sheath from the waistband of my jeans and handed it to him. He slid the knife inside and then put it in his suit pocket. Great, yet another weapon I needed to replace.

"What's a Zauderbeist?" I asked him, curious.

"A male Hexenbiest." He told me. Seeing the blank look on my face, he sighed. "Looks we have a lot to talk about. But first, let's go and get patched up." He turned and started walking away before he realized I wasn't following. "Are you coming?"

"I should be in handcuffs. Everyone saw you chasing me, and if we both go back looking beat up, I should be in handcuffs. I did just try to kill an officer of the law." This was true and he knew it. Taking a pair of cuffs from the back of his belt, he walked toward me. "Can I look at your arm first?" He watched me for a minute, then nodded.

I stepped closer and used my fingers to spread the large slit in his suit coat and both shirts underneath. There was actually a significant amount of blood, but it was slowing. "I'm sorry." I told him, wiping my now slick fingers on my jeans. Then I turned around and he cuffed me.

It was a rather short but annoying walk back to the crime scene and thankfully most of the crowd had dispersed. The Captain walked me toward the two plain clothes cops that had led the reptilian man from the house. Seeing both of us bleeding, the cute one raised a brow. "Well, you definitely had that under control." He told his Captain, smirking slightly at the glare he received.

"The cuffs are just a formality. It appears she's a Grimm, Nick." The Captain said, letting go of my arm.

Nick looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Wow." He then looked to me. "I'm Detective Nick Burkhardt. I'm also a Grimm."

"Would someone _please_ tell me what the heck a Grimm is?" I asked, frustrated at all the unfamiliar terms.

I felt the cuffs being removed. "Come on." The Captain headed toward his SUV and I glanced at Detective Burkhardt.

"You should probably follow him."

"Right." I hurried to follow the tall man and I quickly entered the passenger side of his black SUV. Neither of us said anything as he drove, so it all felt a bit awkward. He eventually pulled in the driveway of quite a nice house. "Um, I thought we were going to get patched up?"

"We are." Apparently he was a man of few words. So, I just followed him inside and sat down at his bar as directed.

He disappeared and returned with a large medical kit. I raised a brow. "You realize they have these places that this stuff _for_ you? They are called hospitals."

The Captain just narrowed his eyes at me. "You already made enough of a scene, so I figured we could patch each other up. Hospitals are for actual injuries."

"_Fine_." I wasn't sure I liked this guy. No one had talked to me like that since I was a child. "Can you at least tell me your name?"

"Sean Renard. You?"

"Finley Kooper."

Since he clearly had the worse injury, I volunteered to play nurse first. He removed the three layers of clothing that my knife had cut through, and when I turned around it caught me off guard. His chest and torso were pretty much perfect. Definitely the best looking shirtless man I had ever seen. My face warmed and I pulled my gaze quickly away but not before I caught sight of the scars that appeared to be from bullets. Three of them, spread over his torso, white against his cappuccino colored skin. From what she could tell, those bullets should have killed him.

"Have you ever stitched a wound before?" Captain Renard's gaze slid to mine, his greenish eyes burning into my own icy blue ones. It took a second before I could pull my gaze away from his own intense one. There was something about the way he looked at me that made me uncomfortable and I didn't like that feeling in the least.

"I can probably manage. How hard can it be?" I didn't bother telling him that I had been a Paramedic who was also working her way through nursing school. It was none of this man's business and I almost hoped the thought of my lack of training would make him a bit nervous. I had yet to see the stoic man rattled and I couldn't help but wonder what that would look like.

He was still staring at me as I grabbed the suture kit from his medical bag. "Could you stop that, please?" I asked, pretty nicely I thought. He just blinked and then looked away. I disinfected his wound and he winced, every muscle in his arm contracting. He did have nice arms, not that I was noticing such things. I began to stitch the now clean cut, and he sucked in a breath. Even though I wished to appear as if I didn't know what I was doing, I couldn't help but use the skills I had once learned.

When I was done, I put a bandage over it. "Done." I cleaned the cut above his eye and just let it be. It was small enough to not matter. He was watching me again and it made me nervous. Thankfully, his gaze left mine as he slid on another button up shirt that he had brought along with the medical kit, doing up all but the top three buttons.

"Your turn." He stood, his tall frame towering over my smaller one. I stepped back and shook my head. "I'm good, thanks." His large hands settled on my shoulders and he gently forced me to sit on the seat he had just vacated.

His green eyes looked me over and his gaze settled on my bruised wrist. Before I could pull away, my wrist was in his very warm hands. The Captain looked it over, maneuvering it in certain directions to check for a fracture. He decided it was only sprained and wrapped it with an ACE bandage from the med kit. "So the scars. You were shot?" I wanted to talk about something to take my mind off of the feeling of his fingers on my skin.

"I was."

"Considering their placement, you are extremely lucky that you didn't die." I told him, glancing up. He was focused on my wrist and his lips were parted slightly in concentration.

"I did. Stand up." I was confused by his answer so I stood up while trying to figure it out. I was quickly jolted out of my thoughts when his hands began to run along my body. They were firm and his touch, even through my clothes, caused a sensation that I was unfamiliar with. I grabbed his wrists tightly and his movements ceased.

"What _are _you doing?" My voice held both surprise and annoyance. I wasn't used to being touched, especially by someone that looked like he did.

His gaze met mine. "When I woge, or shift as you probably call it, into a Zauderbiest, my strength increases. I slammed you into that wall pretty hard, so I'm checking to make sure you're okay."

"It feels like an excuse to feel me up." I was kidding, but he apparently didn't take it that way. His hands slid to my hips and he pulled me against him.

"If I were feeling you up, you would know it." The Captain's voice was low and close to my ear. It made me shiver a bit and I saw amusement flash in his eyes when he pulled back. He spun me to face to opposite direction and resumed his ministrations. His nimble fingers prodded a very sore spot on the back of my rib cage and I sucked in a breath and flinched away from his touch. He just responded by lifting my shirt to examine the spot. It was almost reflex to turn and punch him or something, but I kept in check.

Apparently, even though there was bruising, he deemed it to be okay. "We done?" I asked, turning around, my shirt dropping back into place.

"With that, yes. But we have some things to talk about." He steered me toward a large living room and pointed to a couch. "Have a seat." I did as he asked. He seemed like a man that was used to giving orders, and he probably didn't get told no very often. "First things first. I'm half Wesen. Wesen is what I shift into, and what you've seen others shift into. There are many kinds of Wesen, but I will let Nick explain that later." He lowered his tall body into a chair across from me. "A Grimm is someone who can see the Wesen, even when they don't want to be seen. For centuries, Grimm's have killed Wesen."

"But they attack _me, _not the other way around." I said, confused. I'd never tried to kill anyone who hadn't first attacked me. The first time someone had shifted, I had frozen in terror. That was three years ago in Miami. I was a paramedic and our patient had been stabbed. He was angry and his face had turned into some sort of wolf or something. My partner had to basically slap me to get me to snap out of it.

"Because you look fairly easy to take out. Killing a Grimm is a pretty high honor, and we Wesen prefer to kill rather than be killed." He leaned his head back and rubbed the bruise that was now forming on around the cut above his eye.

"Are you okay, Captain Renard?" I asked, leaning forward. Despite the fact I didn't like him for some reason, I was concerning about his well being.

"Just fine." He straightened and the cool, professional manner had returned. His eyes met mine again but I quickly looked away. I didn't like the feeling he gave me. It was dangerous and new, unlike anything I'd ever felt. "Nick has a trailer full of information about Wesen, so you will definitely need to spend some time with him."

"Hopefully he's more fun." I said with a slight tilt of my head. Not sure why I enjoyed pushing his buttons, but I did.

"Depends on what your definition of fun is."

It had been a long time since I had used that word. Fun was no longer in my vocabulary. Words like survival and fleeing had replaced words like fun and party. I was twenty-six years old and I had been on the move for three years and four months. I hadn't had any of what I used to call fun for a very long time now. I hadn't had a friend or a confidant in so long I had almost forgotten how to interact. "I don't know anymore…" I murmured, not even sure he could hear me.

When I finally looked up, Captain Renard was studying me. This time I held his gaze and allowed myself to feel whatever it was I was feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**(So, here is the second chapter of my story. Please let me know what you think! I'm trying to stay true to the character of Captain Renard, because I like him the way he is. Let me know what you like, what you don't, what you'd like to see, etc. Again, I do not own GRIMM or the characters, only my storyline and my OC. If I did, I would be friends with Sasha because come on…he rocks. Thanks for reading!)**

We sat there quietly for a few minutes, just staring at one another. He was feeling something too, I could see it in his face, but I couldn't tell what it was. He broke the eye contact first this time, and stood. "I should get you back to your hotel. It's late."

"Yeah." I too stood and then held out my hand. "Can I get my knife back?"

He just looked at me. "You tried to kill me."

"You chased me."

"Because you ran."

Clearly I was going to get nowhere with this man so I gave up, dropping my hand to my side. "Fine." I had other weapons in my hotel room.

Not saying another word to him, I walked outside and got in his vehicle. He followed shortly after and looked at me. "What?" I asked.

"I didn't say anything." He slid the key into the ignition and the motor came to life. Pulling out of his driveway, he headed back toward downtown in silence.

"Well your mouth didn't, no. But your face says a lot." I muttered, looking out my window. The man was infuriating and it bothered me that he treated me like a child. But I said nothing. He obviously wasn't one to argue and talking to the side of a barn only made me angry.

Neither of us said anything else, and I was out of the car before he came to a full stop outside my hotel. My feet took the stairs two at a time and I was in my room in record time, I thought. Painfully stripping off my shirt and now blood stained pants, I sighed and rubbed my neck. Just as I reached to find clean clothes there was a knock at the door.

Groaning, I walked over to it and looked out the peephole. Captain Renard stood outside, arms crossed. Hurrying to put on a tank top and shorts, I opened it. "What now?" I was quite annoyed to see him again, especially since I had just left his vehicle mere minutes before.

"That's no way to speak to a friend."

"Friend? Yeah, that's pushing it. A lot." I told him, leaning on the doorjamb.

A slight smile tugged one corner of his mouth up, but only for a second. "I was going to give you your knife, but you ran off in a hurry." He held it out and I lifted it from his grasp. My fingers grazed his and there was an almost electrical charge that passed between us.

"Thanks."

He nodded and turned, not bothering to say goodbye. I shut the door and sighed. This day had turned out very different than I thought.

While showering a few minutes later, careful not to get my bandaged hand wet, I went over my options. Portland held something I needed. Information about the monsters I saw and a window into a world I inwardly feared. Part of me wanted to run as I always did. Run from the man whom I had battled with for mere seconds, the man that made me feel things I didn't understand. But this city was the key to everything. Everything that I had been running from for so long. I had to stay, at least for a little while.

My body was restless all night, and as much as I tried to sleep, I didn't manage more than a couple hours. I was up with the sun and decided a run was needed, but not wanting to run into any Wesen, as the Captain had called them, I used a treadmill in the hotel's fitness center. After an hour long, stationary run, I headed back up to my room, drenched in sweat.

After a shower, I dressed in clean jeans, a long sleeve purple knit shirt, and my tennis shoes. My blonde hair was still wet, but I used a brush to pull it into a loose bun on the back of my head. I never wore makeup, so that significantly cut down the time it took to get ready. I brushed my teeth before turning off the bathroom light and grabbed the knife Captain Renard had so _graciously_ returned to me last night. Perhaps I would walk to the police department to see if I could speak with Detective Burkhardt.

Deciding to do just that, I grabbed my phone and looked up directions. Thankfully, I wasn't super far away so I would just walk. Walking was something I did as often as possible. I loved taking in my surroundings, and since I didn't have much of a life, I tried to take advantage of traveling by committing it all to memory. I grabbed my iPhone off the nightstand and slid it into my back packet.

It was warm outside so I didn't bother with a jacket as I headed the two miles to the police station. Birds were singing and I couldn't help but smile as my eyes took in the bright green of the trees, the traffic on the street next to me, and the people sharing coffee at a café up ahead. Deciding I was in need of coffee, I stopped and ordered. The café had quite a large selection, so I ended up with a large café mocha and a small breakfast sandwich.

Once again, I ate on the go, something I did a lot. I never took the time to sit down for meals anymore. Things just went better if I stayed moving. I covered the two miles rather quickly and I soon found myself standing in front of the large precinct. It was quite a nice building and the main doors were heavy and wooden, something I found oddly comforting. Wooden doors always seemed safe, I suppose.

I pulled one open after mounting the eight concrete stairs, and stepped into the cool building, bustling with activity. Just standing to the side, I watched. There were a mixture of both uniformed police and plain clothes cops, more men than women, I noticed. Stepping deeper into the controlled chaos of paperwork and handcuffed perps, my eyes roamed the large area trying to locate Detective Burkhardt.

A uniformed man approached me and he smiled politely. "Can I help you?"

"Uh, yeah. Looking for Detective Burkhardt."

He pointed a stubby finger toward the far side of the large room. "His desk is on the left side of the bullpen."

I nodded my thanks and headed in the direction that I been pointed. The smell of coffee, albeit bad, reached my nostrils and I gratefully took a drink of the coffee I still had in hand. As I weaved through the myriad of desks and people, I finally saw the detective's desk. He had his back to me and he was laughing at something his partner had just said. His partner, a nice looking African American man, saw me first and motioned in my direction.

"Hey!" Detective Burkhardt said with a smile, rising to his feet as I approached. "I was wondering if I would see you again. Have a seat." There was an extra chair sitting by his desk so I took it. "I didn't catch your name yesterday."

"Finley Kooper." My hands gripped the coffee cup as it rested on my jean covered thighs. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all. Wrapped up our case from yesterday so I have some free time. How did things go with the Captain yesterday?"

"_Wonderful._ Such a pleasant man."

The look on my face made him snicker slightly, though he did try to cover it with his hand. "He takes some getting used to." He glanced at his partner, realizing that he had not introduced him. "Oh, this is Hank Griffin, my partner."

I nodded to the man and he smiled. Detective Burkhardt leaned closer to me, his voice dropping a few notches in volume. "So how much did the Captain tell you?"

"Well, just the basics. The monsters I see are called Wesen, and a Grimm kills them. We didn't exactly talk a lot. He isn't a very friendly man." As the words left my mouth, I knew that had probably not been the smartest thing to say.

I felt him before I saw him. The door across the bullpen opened and he stepped from what I assume was his office. Our eyes met despite the bustle of people, but my concentration was broken as the detective spoke again.

"As I said, he takes some getting used to." He grinned a bit. "Although you didn't exactly get off on the right foot." This was true. Slicing someone's arm open wasn't the greatest of first impressions. But I had never been great with first impressions.

"Well, I was a bit freaked out. I've managed to lie pretty low the last year or so, and when he noticed that I was seeing what he was, I was pretty unsure of what to do. No one else had ever seen what I see." It was difficult to think you were crazy, yet know you weren't. There was no one you could tell because a mental hospital wasn't where you wanted to end up.

"Understandable. And besides, things can only get better from here, right?"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." I mumbled as the Captain's tall form appeared in front of me.

"Nick, I told her about your trailer and I think it would be prudent to take her there." The rich velvetiness of his voice made my skin prickle but I didn't bother looking at him.

"Agreed. We could go now if that's okay?" Nick, as the Captain called him, stood up as he spoke. He was about a head shorter than his commanding officer, but he didn't seem to mind. His dark jeans, black tee shirt, and leather jacket stood out in contrast to the expensive suit Captain Renard was wearing.

I finally slid my gaze up the man's muscled chest to meet his green eyes. The air nearly crackled with tension and it appeared the other two could feel it, because I saw them glance at one another from the corner of my eyes. The Captain's hand were in his pockets but his posture was rigid, almost as if he expected another attack from me. As tempting as the thought was, a police station was the wrong place. "That's fine." His words were directed at Nick, though his gaze never left mine. I stood then, and the Captain was only mere inches from me.

Nick grabbed the keys from his desk and motioned for me to follow, even though he was unsure that I saw it. I did, and stepped past the tall man in front of me, my shoulder roughly brushing his arm. I could feel his eyes burning into my back as I left the building and I couldn't help the small smirk that slid into place on my lips.

**oOo**

Captain Renard watched her leave, the expression on his face never changing. He had known from the moment he laid eyes on her that there was something different about her. Making his way back to his office, he shut the door, blocking out most of the noise of the busy bullpen. Settling his tall body into his chair, he leaned back, staring out the window at nothing in particular. The very sight of the new Grimm irritated him, and he was unsure why. Something about her seemed familiar but he couldn't place it. He would figure it out, he always did. But until then, being around her would not be enjoyable.


	3. Chapter 3

**(Three follows! Yay! Trying to write quickly so I can keep everyone hooked! This makes me excited! I have some pretty huge plot twists coming up, or at least I think so. By the way, this takes place mid-way through season 4 of the show. Except Juliette is not a Hexenbiest in this world. Everything else remains, including the fact that Sean has a child with Adalind. Thanks for reading, and enjoy Chapter 3!)**

The trailer was insane to say the least. It was an older, silver trailer, one like I had even stayed in a few times as a child. But this was so different. There were books filled with Wesen drawings and descriptions that dated back centuries. I was able to pick out those that I had seen, and it helped everything seem far more real. The armoire full of weapons? Yeah, that was pretty great. Even Nick had never used most of them.

While there, he explained about the Royal family, which apparently Captain Renard was part of. He told me the history and stories of the Verrat, which instantly terrified me. They sounded worse than just the normal, everyday Wesen I had encountered.

"So let me get this straight." I was sitting on the floor of the trailer, just taking everything in. "Captain Renard is the king's bastard son, making him a prince. But he is part of the Laufer, the Resistance that is determined to take down the royal's. He also has a baby with the Hexenbiest that put your fiancée in a coma, but your mom is raising the baby." There were so many details to that man's life. No wonder he was so grumpy.

"Yes." Nick said with a small smile.

I let out along breath. "Well that explains a lot. So you have aligned yourself with him, which is good, I guess. But the other Royal's want you for their own uses?"

"Yeah, and as soon as they get wind of you I won't be the only one they are after. Grimms are few and far between. Do you know which family member you got it from?"

"No. I never knew my family. I was brought over to the United States as a baby and promptly abandoned by my parents. They have no idea where I came from. I spent years just bouncing from home to home until I was adopted by an elderly couple when I was fourteen." The Kooper's had been such wonderful people. They were well into their sixties by the time I came to live with them, but they had loved me so completely. They were the reason that I had turned out okay.

Right after my twentieth birthday, they were both killed in a car accident. The accident had been labeled suspicious by the police, as it was a hit and run, but it had never been solved. I cried a lot because I had lost the two people I loved most, but I was happy to have been loved by them for the six years I had lived with them. I was proud to be called their daughter. "So, one of my biological parents must be a Grimm, right? It is genetic?"

"It is. I got it from my mother." Nick was also sitting on the floor of the trailer, but across from me against the opposite wall.

"So how does that work, her raising a Wesen baby?"

He shrugged a bit. "I have no idea. She can protect her from the Royals, but as far as being mother to her, I don't know."

"So what about rules? Can different kinds of Wesen be together romantically? A Wesen and a human? A Grimm and a Wesen?"

"Inter-species relationships are frowned upon by a lot of Wesen. I have friends who just recently got married. One is a Blutbad and the other is a Fuchsbau, and they have received threats and such but some radical Wesen groups. Wesen and human is not such a big deal. Grimm and Wesen is like…illegal or something. Not exactly sure. Never had to worry about it." He chuckled a bit. "Grimms are pretty much human, as far as I know. But Captain Renard could probably answer that question."

"Well, I'm not asking, so I guess I will never know."

"What is it with you two? I've never seen anyone affect him like you do."

"No idea. I did try to kill him, though." I said, shrugging a bit.

"So did I, but we're cool now." He smiled and stood, holding his hand out to help me up. "So, will you be staying in town long?"

"Not sure. I've been on the move for over three years now, and I'm running out of money. My adoptive parents left me quite a bit when they died, but paying for food, hotels, and gas for three years has almost depleted it." I rubbed my tanned face with my hands, tendrils from my dark blonde hair falling in my face.

"Well, let me know. I'd love to have another Grimm around. I could teach you more about it, maybe even help you land a job. What did you do before?"

"I was a Paramedic. Was also partway through nursing school."

"Wow. Sorry you had to leave all that."

We exited the trailer into the bright sunlight, and I blinked a few times, trying to adjust. "It is what it is. I try to have no regrets."

The ride back to the station was basically filled with small talk. Nick was a very nice guy and I had a great time with him, unlike the time I had spent with a certain police captain. When we arrived back at the precinct, he went in ahead of me. I stayed outside to check my phone messages, not that I had any. I just needed a minute alone before I went back in where I knew _he_ would be.

Sitting down on the front steps, I browsed my Facebook. I never posted or liked anything, I just quietly followed the lives of my friends. They had long since stopped trying to locate me or talk to me. It was sad really, but I tried not to think of it. Glancing up, I noticed a black car across the street. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. The windows weren't tinted and the driver was watching me while talking on the phone.

My blue eyes narrowed and I stood up. He continued to watch me and put the phone away. After giving me a slow smirk, he pulled away from the curb and was gone. I only got a partial plate but figured I was just overreacting. Shaking my head, I walked through the wooden doors and was consumed by the chaos once again.

After thanking Nick for his time, and accepting an invite to dinner later that night, I bid them farewell and exited into the sunlight for my walk back to the hotel. I was hungry and decided food would be in order. I had several hours until Nick would pick me up for supper at his house, and I would never make it without a little something to tide me over.

"Finley." I had barely gotten down the stairs when I heard his voice. Being polite, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I turned. Every time our eyes locked, something happened inside me. My heart seemed to stop beating and time froze. "I trust your time with Nick was informative."

"Yes. He was _far_ more informative than a certain bastard prince." I said, my voice level. This man scared me in ways I couldn't explain, and my response to him was completely illogical. Why anger someone you feared?

His normally indifferent expression cracked slightly, and I saw amusement in his face. Not the response I had expected, but I supposed it was better than anger, even though a part of me had hoped for that. "I wasn't exactly in the mood to converse."

"_Really _now. Never would have guessed."

He considered me for a long moment. The long pauses he often took did not make me feel awkward. They were because this man was trying to understand me. I hoped I was as much of an enigma to him as he was to me. "Watch your back, Finley. The Royal's already know of your existence here. I can't promise you're safe."

A resigned smile creased my face. "I haven't been safe for a very long time now, Captain."

"Nothing you have gone through can even _begin_ to rival what manner of hell is headed in your direction. The Royal family are not to be underestimated."

"Neither am I." My shoulders were squared and he could see the determination in my face. Yeah, I was pretty terrified on the inside, but I had come this far. I was more educated now, and that made me stronger than ever. "Neither am I."

**oOo**

Dinner at Nick's was wonderful. His fiancée, Juliette, was a very nice person. She was also a very good cook, something I made sure to tell her. Nick's Wesen friends, the ones he had told me about earlier that day, were also there. Monroe and Rosalee were wonderful, something I never thought I would think of one Wesen, much less two.

By the time I got back to my hotel room, I was in pretty high spirits. I had not had conversation or laughter quite like that for far too long. I hadn't realized how much I had missed it until tonight. As I walked inside, I caught a glimpse of the same car I had seen outside of the station that afternoon. Trying not to let it bother me, I headed inside. I had Nick's number in case of trouble.

**(This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, so forgive me.**

**XxMangoQueenxX:** Thank you so much for your review! I always struggle with first person, so I'm glad you like it. It is much easier to write in third, but it is too late to change it now. Glad you are enjoying the story, and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Thanks for reading, following, and favoriting! Love, Shane


	4. Chapter 4

**(Chapter 4! Woot! You are getting these as I'm writing them. I can't always promise a chapter a day, but I'm so excited to be writing this that I can't stop. Thanks to those who have followed and favorite this story! Much appreciated. Please review and let me know how I'm doing.)**

It was another restless sleep for me. Being more educated about the Wesen was both a good and a bad thing. I kept seeing them every time I closed my eyes. The man I had seen outside was haunting me because deep down I knew he was here for me. I wasn't sure what he wanted and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Confronting him was an option but that could get messy. Telling Nick, or better yet the Captain, was another option, but I hesitated to appear needy.

I was up by six that morning and decided to take a real run. My last clean pair of workout clothes were in my bag, and as I dressed I contemplated where to do laundry. There was probably a laundry mat around here somewhere. After doing a few stretches to limber up, I grabbed my headphones and the armband for my iPhone before heading outside. After queuing up some AC/DC, I slipped the ear buds into my ears before beginning my run. The black car was farther down the road, but it was still there.

Running toward it, I caught sight of the driver as I passed. Same guy. He looked tall, and his light brown hair was neatly trimmed. He was wearing a suit and the car was an Audi. Whoever he worked for probably had money. That made me think of the royal family, and then I realized the man was most likely Verrat. Having seen him twice yesterday, he must have already been in Portland when the Royal family found out about me. But that wasn't surprising, considering they were watching Nick and probably Renard as well.

So now it didn't matter if I left Portland. The Royals had the money and the connections to chase me down wherever I went. Portland had just become the safest place in the world to be. At least here I had another Grimm on my side, and maybe even Captain Renard. It was then I made the decision to tell him about the man following me. He would probably want to know.

My run was quiet and I very much enjoyed getting my heart rate up and seeing the sights. Portland really was beautiful and I was glad that I was here. The black car had followed me at a distance, but I had managed to shake it by the time I returned to the hotel. They would be back, though, that much I was sure of. They already knew where I was staying.

Since my wrist was feeling better, I removed the ace bandage when I got back to my fourth floor room. The wrist was several shades of purple and yellow which everyone knows is super attractive. After a nice hot shower, I examined myself in the full length mirror that was part of the small closet door. The bruise on the back of my rib cage was about the same color as my wrist, but everything seemed to be healing nicely. My split lip was no longer swollen and was pretty much closed.

I wondered how the Captain's arm was healing, and figured I would just ask when I saw him. Deciding to take my car today, I drove the couple miles to the precinct and parked across the street. Nick wasn't here yet but the Captain was, as I could see his car.

The precinct was pretty quiet this morning, and a bunch of people were getting ready to go home after the night shift. I moved toward the Captain's office and I saw him inside on the phone. Stopping outside of the closed door, I knocked and waited for permission to enter. His phone call ended seconds later and he motioned for me to enter.

I shut the door behind me, and when I turned to face him, those gorgeous green eyes were watching me. "Is this a good time?" This man was in a position to help so I was being nice.

He nodded and gestured toward a chair, which I took. "Everything okay?"

"I was hoping to talk to you about something."

He sat forward, resting his long arms on the large, oak desk. "Of course."

Not wanting to be looking at him while we talk, I pointed to his arm. "Could I check that while we talk?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, something he did quite often. With a small, almost unnoticeable sigh, he shrugged out of his suit jacket, and began to unbutton his shirt. My cheeks felt slightly heated so I glanced away. When my eyes met his again, he was waiting patiently for me to come around the desk. Doing so, I moved his arm into a slightly better position and pushed the sleeve of his undershirt up. "There has been a man in a black car following me." My voice was soft, and it was obvious I was concentrating on something other than my words, but he looked up at me.

"Since when?"

"Yesterday. I first noticed him when Nick and I came back from the trailer."

The Captain thought about this while I finished my examination. He had been changing the bandage regularly and there was no sign of infection, which was great. Put the small bandage back on and made my way back to my chair. "Looks good. I can take the stitches out in a few days or so." Seven to ten days was the normal for stitches in the arm.

"Could you give a description of this guy?"

"Probably. I managed to shake him on my run this morning but he knows where I'm staying."

He thought about this for a moment. "Then you should stay elsewhere."

"Why? He would find me. You told me the Royals already know I'm here so he could be Verrat, right?" I could already tell he was thinking the same thing.

"Most likely. You really shouldn't stay alone. I doubt you take more than one Hundjager, should they come after you."

"Are you volunteering to be my roommate?" I asked with a chuckle. In all seriousness, I probably couldn't take on more than one Wesen at a time. My fighting skills, though mostly instinctual, left much to be desired. While here, I hoped to get some training.

The look on his face at my question told me he would rather die. "Not exactly. You could probably stay with Nick and Juliette, but I will talk to him about that later."

I stood. "Great talk. Later." I left his office and once outside, sighed with relief. That was our nicest conversation to date. Things were getting better, at least.

The rest of my day was quiet and spent mostly in my room. The man in the black car continued to sit outside the hotel. After working out in the fitness room, and then running out for some pizza, I decided to make it an early night.

As I slowly made my way up the stairs to the fourth floor, I heard someone coming up behind me, still a floor behind me. Quickening my steps, I burst through the fourth floor door, only to find a man waiting outside my door. It wasn't the man from the car, but I figured that was the guy behind me.

He wasn't much taller than me, but he was far broader. I could basically see the muscles rippling under his black dress shirt. Stepping away from the door I had just come through, I backed down the hallway a bit. The man in front of my door advanced on me, just as the second man came through the stairwell door. It was the man who had been watching me.

"What do you want?" I asked, fists balling at my sides.

The man from the car leered at me. "You, of course."

The both came at me so I quickly slipped out my knife. No way could I take them both down, but hopefully I could at least get in some lucky shots. The man from the car reached me first. Luckily, I managed to ward off his first two blows, but his third caught my nose and I felt the crunch of breaking bone Just as the second one reached me, a tall form came barreling in from the stairwell door, gun drawn. It distracted the man in front of me, just long enough for me to make my move.

The knife slid in between his ribs easily and he grunted and staggered back. I had already slipped the gun from his shoulder holster, firing into his chest. I heard a several more gunshots and looked over to see my second attacker, also dead on the carpeted hallway. My nose was pouring and I lifted my free hand to cover it, the gun still clutched in my other.

Renard stepped over and pulled my knife from the dead man, wiping it on the man's pants. He was about to say something when several doors opened and people poked their heads out to see what was going on. He held up his badge and they retreated back into their rooms. Slipping a handkerchief from inside his suit coat, he held it out. I grabbed it and pressed it gently to my face.

My nose hurt so badly I was almost seeing stars. Managing to click the safety on, I shoved the gun in my waistband and leaned my head back with a sigh. The Captain's hand fell on my shoulder and he steered me toward my room. The keycard was sticking out from my back pocket and he grabbed it, managing to not even graze me.

We were soon in my hotel bathroom where he moved my hands from my face. His nimble fingers probed my nose and before I had time to stop him, he set it. I yelped and shoved him away, or at least attempted to. The man really was a brick wall. "Stop being such a child. Try getting shot."

"Shut up." I muttered angrily, once again holding the handkerchief to my face. The pain was real. Not as bad as getting shot, but still. It hurt.

After several very long minutes, the bleeding pretty much stopped. I gingerly cleaned my face and stepped from the bathroom. Captain Renard was waiting, leaning against the wall. "How did you know I was in trouble?"

"I didn't. Decided to drive by on my home and was just in time to see that guy leave his car and head inside. I knew he was Verrat so I figured you could use some backup."

"Well, thanks." After motioning for him to turn around, I stripped off the blood covered shirt and put on my last clean one. "So what about the dead guys in the hall?"

"Already texted Wu and told him to get guys down here to take care of it. We will need to get your statement tomorrow, though."

"Great…" The fight, however short it may have been, had worn me out. The adrenaline rush was leaving my system now, and my hands were shaking.

"Get your stuff." He stood up straight now and looked down at me.

"What for?"

"Not leaving you here. They will be back. I have plenty of room until we can figure something out."

"Oh yay."


	5. Chapter 5

**(Up to four follows and three favorites, ladies and gentlemen! Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter. On another note, that last Grimm episode? AHHHHH. Those writers are killing me! Love it! :D Haha. So is the fan life, I suppose. On the up side, now Claire (Adalind), Bitsie (Juliette), Reggie (Wu) have favorite some of my tweets! As well as a producer and a writer from the show! Still working on Sasha and David, haha. Anyhow….ON TO THE STORY! Please review!)**

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" The look on his face made me grimace. He was angry. Very angry. His green eyes flashed as his gaze shifted from the cappuccino machine to me. A sheepish look slid onto my face, but his face remained stony and irritated.

"I wanted coffee! Not my fault you have a stupidly expensive cappuccino machine. Too good for a simple coffee pot?" Now I was on the defensive, as I always was when in trouble. Reaching into a cabinet, he grasped a coffee pot, nearly slamming it onto the counter beside us. I glanced from the coffee pot to him. "Oh."

"I told you not to touch it." Last night, upon our arrival at his "stupidly expensive" house, he had set some ground rules.

"_One: Don't touch the cappuccino machine. Two: If you dirty dishes, clean them. Three: No snooping. Four: Don't touch the cappuccino machine." _

_I raised a brow as he listed the house rules. "Wow, someone is serious about his coffee." The words were slightly mumbled but he heard them._

"_This is me after several cups. Now imagine me with none." That was something I didn't want to think about._

"My apologies, Your Highness." I gave him a ridiculous mock bow.

When his hand closed around my throat and he growled, I froze. "If you weren't a Grimm I would kick you out. But unfortunately you are quite valuable. Do. Not. Push me." He let go and stepped back, and I could see him shoving the beast inside back into a box.

"Sorry." I really was. "I'll pay you back." And I would. The man had saved my life and was giving me a place to stay. I owed him, and here I was, going out of my way to bother him. Advancing toward him a bit, I moved to touch his arm but decided against it. Best that I just shut up.

Staying with him was going to be a challenge. We clashed over anything and everything, and I was somewhat afraid that we would kill each other. He disappeared back into the master bedroom and the door closed loudly behind him. Wincing, I squeezed the bridge of my nose, which was a terrible idea because it was broken, so I quickly released it. I should never have touched the machine.

By the time he emerged, I had made coffee in the pot he had set on the granite countertop, and a steaming mug was waiting for him. It sat beside a small glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a plate of bacon and eggs. He came to a halt in front of it and looked at me. I just raised my hands in surrender. "Peace offering."

He didn't say anything for a few very long moments, even though he sat down on the barstool. Figuring he was giving me the silent treatment, I moseyed toward the stairs so I could get ready for the day. "Washer and dryer are in the back."

That was the best news I'd ever heard. I was wearing my last pair of clean clothes, and pajama shorts and a tank top weren't exactly street clothes. Quickly gathering all of my clothes, which honestly didn't take more than a few seconds, I carried them downstairs and toward the rear of his house. Upon finding a laundry room, I started a load of clothes. One load was all I ever did because that was all it ever took. I really did need to buy some new clothes.

Traipsing back into the kitchen, I sat down and drank my cooling coffee. He was finished with breakfast and was quietly enjoying his coffee. Neither of us said anything for a while, but finally I broke the silence, not able to handle it any longer. "Any idea where I could get a job? Going to be in need of money here soon." I had used my phone to check my bank account this morning and saw I was below a thousand now. It was lucky that I had landed in Portland before I ran out.

"I believe McDonalds is hiring." He gave me a slightly amused look, but there was still annoyance flickering in his eyes. The man held a grudge.

"Oh great. A paramedic flipping burgers."

He raised a brow. "Paramedic? Why didn't you mention this when you were stitching my arm?"

"You didn't ask. Besides, if you didn't pick up on the fact that I had medical training of some sort, you fail as a cop."

"I have more important things to do."

"Yeah, yeah. A prince and a police captain. I get it."

"You don't, but nice try." He stood and moved to the sink, rinsing off his dishes, and I got a good look of him in casual clothes. It was Saturday so he wasn't going into work, unless something came up. I could tell that his clothes were expensive, but on him they worked. The reddish pants were fitted to his nice form, and the white knit shirt clung to his muscular torso and arms. And dang if he wasn't the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. It really was too bad that we practically hated each other.

"What do you normally do on Saturdays?" I asked him, curious as to his schedule for the day.

"I don't have a lot of normal Saturdays, but I will probably catch up on paperwork." His arms were crossed and he was leaning back against the counter, studying me.

"Well aren't you a boatload of fun." My sarcasm was growing on him, I could tell. "Look, I'm not sure how old you are, but you need to have more fun. I have yet to see you smile and you need to loosen up a bit."

"A man in my position doesn't often get the chance for fun. I have people that want to kill me. People who are currently in this very town. As do you, now."

"I'm well aware. I haven't done anything fun in over three years , Captain. Too much time running and thinking I'm crazy."

We moved into the living room and both settled on the couch. "What exactly did you call fun?"

"Well I'm very much an outdoor person. So hiking, swimming, camping, canoeing, that sort of thing. Clubbing and getting drunk was never my thing."

He seemed to think about this for a minute. "You seem more sensible then most people your age."

"And how old do you think I am?"

"Early twenties."

"Try mid. Twenty six. What about yourself?" He smiled slightly but didn't answer. "Be that way, then."

I stood and smiled. "I'm gonna go for a run."

"People are trying to kill you."

"So come with me." With that, I disappeared to my bedroom. It was then I realized I had no clean workout clothes. Heading back to the living room, I sighed and collapsed back onto the couch. Captain Renard just eyed me with amusement. "Yeah, my clothes are all in the washer."

I never had the time to be bored, but now I did. And I was. "While I'm in town, could you maybe teach me how to fight better? I've been flying by the seat of my pants, managing to get lucky. What I do know seems to be instinctual. Do or die."

"I suppose. Can't promise you'll learn much."

"Even sparring with you will help. I've never fought when my life wasn't in danger."

"After what you just did to my cappuccino machine, it might be."

**oOo**

I hit the ground, _again_. I wasn't sure how I had survived this long without training, considering I had yet to beat him. With a groan I climbed to my feet. I moved to rub my back but stopped myself. I wasn't going to show weakness. He was avoiding my face, which was nice, considering my nose was broken. But my torso was fair game.

"You're not very good at this." He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Nope. Why do you think I use a mini sword? I'm pretty good with that. Quick and easy." I flexed my still sore wrist. It probably should have still been wrapped, but the ACE bandage annoyed me.

"Then why aren't you using it?"

The look I gave him was pretty obvious I thought. "Um, I already sliced you open once. Besides, I need to learn hand to hand." I again prepared myself. I was smaller than he was, and weaker, so I needed to be faster. Speed needed to be my strength. Wesen were unnaturally strong. "Rea-"

I hadn't even gotten the word out of my mouth when his attack came. I managed to dodge the first blow, but he came around quickly. I was nearly caught off guard, but my forearm came up in defense. His blow bounced off my arm but it hurt and I knew it would leave a bruise. "Better." He said with a small smirk. I was seeing more of those now, and I figured that to be a good thing. "Next time, I would do this." Renard showed me a different technique that seemed better. Then we practiced again.

By the time we were done, I was exhausted. It wasn't even noon yet and I already was ready for bed. "Thanks." I murmured as we walked in the house.

"You did manage to kill one of the Hundjagers on your own."

"You came hurtling through the door. It threw him off. Otherwise I would have been dead."

"Unconscious, maybe. Dead, no. The Royal family want a Grimm for their own purposes."

"I think dead sounds better."

"It probably would be. Viktor is to be feared. He will go to great lengths to achieve his purposes. I dare say he may be worse than my brother." He sighed and rubbed his face. The stress got to him, I could tell. He was good at wearing a mask and pretending as if nothing phased him. I rubbed his arm, my fingers leaving heat in their wake. He turned to me, only inches away, the mask gone.

It was back up in seconds, but that had been long enough to see some of what he was feeling. Pain, fear. He was overwhelmed and I wasn't sure how he was even keeping it together. He had given up his daughter. He was in constant danger. He was a pawn in a political game that I knew very little about. He had experienced things that no one but he knew of.

I didn't say anything and I let my hand slowly fall back to my side. He didn't say anything either, and minutes later we parted company to shower and change.


	6. Chapter 6

**(Six follows. I am beyond humbled at your support. Thank you! Reviews would still be much appreciated. I would like to know what ya'll like or don't like. Ideas of what you would like to see happen, that sort of thing. I apologize for the mistakes and such. I usually post first, edit a little later. Crazy way to do it, but yeah. Enjoy!)**

The rest of the day was quiet. I finished my laundry, he worked on paperwork. Nick and I talked on the phone for a bit, and he was slightly annoyed that I hadn't told him about the Verrat showing up at my hotel.

"_Sorry, but I'm okay. Your Captain showed up just in time." I told him, lounging on the couch. _

_Nick sighed loudly into the phone. "That's lucky."_

"_Agreed."_

After a short nap, I had come downstairs to find Renard cooking supper. "Well, you cook too. Full of surprises, Captain." I said peering around him see what he was making.

"You can call me Sean around here, if you like." That surprised me, but it did feel a bit formal calling him Captain. Although I wasn't sure calling him by his first name was right either.

"Sean." I tried it out. I had yet to meet anyone who didn't call him Captain or Renard. I had already tried the "Your Highness" thing and it hadn't worked. Granted, I was being snarky, but still. "I guess that would work."

"Well, it should. It is my name."

"Yes, but does anyone but your mother call you that?" Nick had told me about how Renard's mother had brought him back to life after he was shot.

"Adalind did."

"That makes me_ not_ want to call you Sean." Oh I had heard all about Adalind. Nick, though he had good reason, hated her more than anyone. I knew Sean had quite the history with her, but even if he told me different, I would probably never like her.

Dinner was amazing. Better than any restaurant I had ever been to. It was almost nice, seeing the slightly domestic side of him. We had eaten quietly, neither of us wanting to break the now comfortable silence that had fallen between us. After I had helped him clean up the kitchen, I took the rest of my wonderful wine into the living room. It was getting dark out, but I stared out the window in thought.

Everything was hitting me now. Underneath all the sarcasm and bravado I was scared. Terrified. A fresh wave of that fear washed over me as I thought about the men who had come for me. I could see a faint reflection of myself in the pane of glass and I reached up, touching my bruised face. A tear slipped from my eye as I felt the twinge of pain when my finger slid across my nose. I had been strong for so long. Being brave was the only thing I had had for years. But here, in this moment, in this place, I felt safe, even if only for a short time. And that was the best feeling I could think of.

**oOo**

After the somewhat relaxing weekend, Monday dawned, rainy and terrible. It had put me in a bad mood but I decided to make the best of it. Juliette, Nick's fiancée, had called and asked if I wanted to shop. Needing new clothes, I had quickly agreed. Sean and I had driven to the hotel the previous day to pick up my car, so I drove over to Nick's to pick up Juliette.

She was happy and bubbly, so that helped me feel a bit better. After helping me put on some makeup to make the bruising on my face look better, we left for some downtown shopping.

"So, how is living with Captain Renard?" She asked, a grin on her face. I could tell the situation slightly amused her.

"Wonderful." I chuckled and rolled my eyes at her question. "We don't really get along all that well, but it is working out okay, I suppose."

"Is he not one of the best looking men on the planet, though?"

"Um, I try not to think about it."

"How can you not? Have you seen him?" She giggled like a school girl and it made me laugh.

"I live with him, Juliette. I see him far too much. But yes, he is pretty great looking."

"That's the understatement of the year." She said with a smirk. "He needs a good woman in his life."

I had just taken a large sip of the coffee we had stopped for and her words nearly made me choke. After coughing, I pulled it together and shot her an incredulous look. "I do hope you are getting any ideas about the two of us. I can't _imagine_ a worse couple. Even if we didn't hate each other, I would think there are rules or something that prevent a Grimm and a Wesen from being together. It couldn't end well."

She shrugged. "I think you would be great together. You're his type."

If I hadn't of liked Juliette, her words would have angered me. "Evil blonde?"

"No. Strong, independent. You aren't afraid to tell him what's what. He needs that, even if it angers him."

"I hate to burst your bubble, Juliette, but we would literally kill each other. The first time we met, I sliced his arm open and he sprained my wrist. Then after he took me to his house, I broke his cappuccino machine and he nearly strangled me. Trust me, it wouldn't work."

"If you say so." She didn't believe me at all, that much was plainly obvious. With a small shake of my head, I parked in a space pretty close to the doors of the mall. The woman was crazy.

**oOo**

When we returned from a long, fun day of shopping, I was in a much better mood. I had spent far too much of what money I had left on various outfits, but they had been much needed. When Juliette had found out that I was a Paramedic, she told me she had a friend in the field and would talk to him about getting me a job. I hoped it turned out well because I didn't plan on living with Sean Renard for much longer.

He was still at work when I arrived back at his house, so I put away all my new clothes. She had talked me into buying a couple of dresses, which I thought stupid, but hey. They did look pretty good on me.

Deciding to be nice, I made a quick dinner for him and left it the oven to get warm. Pouring myself some scotch from his bar, I sat out on the back deck in a lounge chair. All was quiet and I just reclined, trying to enjoy the moment. Why Juliette had thought Sean and I should be together still plagued me. I didn't even know him, and what I did know I didn't exactly like.

He did have good reason for being the way he was, but still. Not my type at all. My last boyfriend had been a guy that I had gone to high school with. He had hailed from Texas originally, and his country boy persona had stolen my heart. It had ended badly after he cheated on me, but I had enjoyed the relationship for the two years it had lasted. Since then there had been no one, and I wasn't about to break that with a Royal/Wesen.

My eyes were closed and I felt him before I heard him. I had been so deep in thought that I hadn't heard his car. I was so relaxed it was probably a bad thing, but it was what it was. My scotch was gone and I had set the glass on the deck, folding my hands over my belly. He sat down on the chair next to me but neither of us said anything. I didn't even open my eyes.

Finally, after ten minutes of this, I turned my head in his direction and opened my eyes. Sean was watching me intently with a look I couldn't place, a look that left as soon as my eyes fell on his face. "What?"

"Nothing." He didn't say anything more but he didn't look away.

I sat up and nudged his foot with my own. "Tell me."

Sean clenched his jaw and sighed. "You aren't going to like it." I just raised a brow and he finally conceded. "I know who you are."

My brows furrowed. "What are you talking about, Sean?" He was confusing me.

"I received a phone call today from an…old acquaintance. Her name is Mia Savreux Gaudot. She's a Royal, but from a different family."

"Okay? So how does she know who I am? What does that mean?"

"Mia's mother, Queen Genevieve Savreux, got pregnant for a third time when Mia was ten. But the baby died at birth, or so Genevieve told everyone. Unknown to her husband, Maurice Gaudot, Genevieve was having an affair, one which ended when he discovered she was carrying his child. Normally, no one would have been the wiser, but the man she had been with was a Grimm. Genevieve couldn't risk her family finding out, so she smuggled the child, her daughter, out of the country. Lying with a Grimm was and is strictly forbidden in that particular Royal family. Genevieve observed her daughter from afar, finally convincing a family to take her in and raise her as their own. She sent them quite a lot of money for the girl, which they gladly took."

I was still confused so he continued. "Finley, that child was _you_. It isn't my family that came after you, it was your's."

My head began to shake slowly. "No…"

"Did you ever question why the Kooper's left you so much money? They were not rich people."

"I just…I didn't…" Words wouldn't come. The Kooper's had loved me, wanted me. It wasn't because of money. They would have told me. I stood and paced away from him. "No, no I'm not. She's lying." None of this could be true. I was Finely Kooper, reject foster kid. I wasn't some long lost Royal baby. My head shook faster now, more determined. "She's lying!"

Sean was on his feet now and came over to me, grabbing my shoulders. "She isn't. I had your blood tested. You're definitely a Royal."

I shoved him away, and he let me. "No! I don't want anything to do with it. I _refuse_ to be like you!" The words flew from my mouth like venom and I saw the subtle change in his face. They had hurt him. _I _had hurt him. Covering my mouth with my hand, I ran from the deck, heading inside and upstairs to my room. I needed time.

**(So, wow. Plot twist. The character Mia Gaudot is not mine, I just added the name Savreux. Mia was in an episode or two of Grimm. All of the information about her family is also fiction, and of my own creation. Now that this has happened, comments would be great. Let me know what you think of the new development! Thanks! -Shane)**


	7. Chapter 7

**(Getting some more favorites now, and up to 10 follows! Thanks again! As long as everyone keeps loving, I'm going to keep writing. I'm able to update pretty quickly right now, which is nice, but I can't always promise it will be that way. I'm a stay at home mom, so believe it or not, I'm quite busy haha. Read on, O faithful followers!)**

I didn't come out of my room for hours, mainly because I regretted my last words to Sean. He didn't deserve that. Everything I had just learned blew me away. I was glad to finally know where I came from, but angry that I was given away. Maybe dying would have been the better option. When I finally emerged from the bedroom, it was three in the morning. I hadn't been to sleep because frankly, how could I after hearing all of that.

I figured Sean was in bed, so I silently made my way down the stairs, only to find him sitting at the breakfast bar doing more paperwork. He looked up as I entered the kitchen and I saw the weariness in his eyes. I self-consciously rubbed at my face, knowing it was tear-stained. "Are you okay?" His words were something almost anyone would ask, but I could tell he actually cared about the answer.

I shrugged and grabbed the bottle of scotch that sat next him, also snagging his now empty glass. After pouring myself some and taking several long swigs, I spoke. "I really don't know, Sean. This morning I was just a woman. A woman who could see monsters and had people trying to kill her. As if that wasn't bad enough, and I thought it was, I find out I'm a bastard royal, just like you." I sighed and took another drink of the bitter liquid. "You know, normal people find out they are a princess and it would be the best news they'd ever heard."

"We aren't normal people."

"Is being a Royal who is a Grimm as bad as being a Royal that is half Wesen?"

He shrugged slightly and turned his body to face me. "I have no idea. Mia didn't tell me. But you're third in line for the throne in your family. And you have two younger siblings… They probably want you dead."

"Comforting, thanks." He was being honest though, and I appreciated it. Really needing some form of human contact, I stood, moved between his already splayed legs, and wrapped my arms around his neck. He stiffened but then I felt his arms slip around me. Because of his height and the height of the barstools, standing up made us even so it was a perfect fit. "I'm sorry about earlier." I whispered.

His muscular arms held me close and I let them. We both needed the comfort that came from a hug, even though neither of us liked or wanted to admit it. He smelled like the light cologne he always wore, one that I suspected was expensive, like everything else he owned. My chin rested gently on his shoulder and I never wanted to let go. Despite how much I disliked him, and despite the fact that he was the strongest Wesen I'd ever gone up against, he made me feel oddly safe.

I was almost afraid to pull away but I did. My hands still rested on his shoulders and his had slipped to my hips. Our faces were only inches apart and I could tell we were thinking the same thing. Before either one of us could make the mistake of kissing the other, I stepped back and his hands slid from my body.

He cleared his throat and stole the glass we had been using for scotch, finishing what was in there before pouring more and drinking deeply. His cool, professional manner was back and it made me want to hit him. I liked seeing behind the mask, but he didn't like to let people in. "Why do you do that?" I asked, snatching the glass back. If it had occurred to either of us to get a second glass, neither of us had bothered.

"Do what?" He asked, watching as I quickly chugged a glass full. Scotch was strong and bitter, but it was my favorite drink. The effects of the alcohol were starting to bother me now, and I was rather enjoying it. I hadn't been buzzed in years.

"You wear this…mask. And the second that anyone, namely me, notices that it is gone, you put it right back on. It is okay to feel things sometimes. To do some things that you want to do. To be human."

"A man in my position has too many things to worry about. I don't just get to do what I want."

I gave him a sad smile before standing. "Then I'm sorry for you. Life isn't worth living if you can't…live." I finished the little bit of scotch left in the glass and stepped around him. We both needed sleep.

Sean's hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. He spun around on his stool and pulled me against him roughly, but not enough to hurt me. Those warm, slightly thin lips collided with my own. The surprise hit me so fast I nearly pulled away. But I couldn't, and didn't.

My arms were around his neck again, and our lips were doing a dance all their one. He pulled away all too soon and stood. "There. I did something I wanted." He smiled slightly before heading upstairs. I was left standing there, lips on fire, and my face hurting slightly because of my still broken nose.

**oOo**

The next morning, after having ample time to think it over, I was furious. He had kissed me and then walked away. Who did he think he was? What right did he have to kiss me, anyway? That had not been what I was referring to in our talk. He was already up and dressed in workout clothes. I did find it a bit distracting, though I chose to try and ignore him entirely.

He said good morning as I came down, but I didn't answer. Pouring myself some coffee, which thankfully was already brewed, I quickly downed some of the piping hot liquid, nearly choking. He was leaning against the breakfast bar, slightly amused. I could see it written in his facial expression, a small smirk threatening to surface.

Turning, I shot him my fiercest glare. He just raised a brow. "All that for just a kiss?"

"That's the problem with you men, isn't it? _Just a kiss_. I don't kiss someone unless I mean it. And when I told you to do something or feel something, that isn't what I meant." I said, slightly louder than was necessary.

"You told me to do something I wanted. I may have been slightly inebriated, but I did something I wanted. You are quite hard to please. Being a Royal won't be all that hard for you."

His words only angered me further. "You know what? I'm not doing this." I headed for the door, and it was a good thing I was already dressed for the day. "Touch me again and I'll break something." The door slammed behind me and I took a second to cool off before heading for my car. It was parked alongside his SUV and I was half tempted to slash his tire or something. Thankfully, I was a bit more mature than that.

I didn't leave for a few minutes, I just sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel. Just a kiss. I understood the male mind more than I cared to. I didn't understand why, but the kiss had meant something to me. The feelings that were beginning to develop for this handsome stranger scared me. In fact, I would rather go up against the Verrat alone, than to think about what was happening.

Finally starting my vehicle, I backed out of his drive and headed for town. I needed a distraction.

**oOo**

Sean Renard knew kissing her had been a mistake. Even though that hadn't been what she was referring to, he had known as soon as she had said it what he wanted to do. Sean was the sort of man who took what he wanted. He was just used to people not putting up much of a fight. Finley had gone willing into his arms and the kiss was definitely not one sided. But now she was angry because he had used the words 'just a kiss.' He hadn't met it like it had sounded, but the damage was done. He wasn't sure how he felt about her, as she was everything he disliked. But nonetheless, he was drawn to her in ways he couldn't explain.

**(Happy Owl: **Thanks so much for the review! Glad you are enjoying the story. I am definitely having a great time writing it. Hopefully things turn out the way you hope.**)**


	8. Chapter 8

**(You guys are the best! Seriously. I love ya'll. Whenever I get a new favorite or follow it makes my day! Onto the next chapter. Since they've now kissed, things between Renard and Finley are probably going to be slightly awkward. Also, you shall probably be meeting some of Finley's family soon! Excitement and drama to come! Reviews would still be **_**much**_** appreciated.)**

Juliette sat staring at me, completely speechless. I had needed to talk to someone, and I figured she would listen. I was right. She had been at work, but was currently between, so she had agreed to listen if I helped her clean.

"So…Royal." Juliette, being a Kehrseite-Schlich-Kennen, already knew about all about the Wesen world. Nick had long ago explained it all to her. "I didn't see that coming."

"You and me both. I don't think Sean did either. The news was quite surprising."

"Well, I mean, at least you know now. Not that it helps, really." She sighed and vacated the stool she had sunk onto when my story got good. "You should tell Nick. He'll want to know." Juliette rubbed her face with her hands. "And we're gonna talk about that kiss later."

I couldn't help but grin as I headed for the door. "Maybe."

"Thanks for the help." She called.

"Thanks for the ear." I pushed through the front door of her clinic and listened the little bell ring. With a sigh, I walked the few blocks to the police precinct, hoping to speak with Nick.

It was busy as always and I wound my way through the people and desks, plopping into the empty chair that still sat beside Nick's desk. He looked up at me and raised a brow.

"You look like crap."

"You are _so_ charming." I said with a grin, watching him lean back in his chair.

"Does it still hurt?" He asked, referring to my nose.

"Yes. It does." I figured that would be obvious, but maybe he'd never had his nose broken. Hard to believe considering all the times he'd fought Wesen. "But it is getting better."

Nick nodded slightly. "So did you need to talk to me?"

"Yeaahh." I said, wincing slightly. "But uh, how much time do you have?"

As I told Nick and Hank the same thing I had just told Juliette, I watched their faces. Surprise was the main thing I saw, just as it had been with Juliette. I could see Renard in his office, and occasionally felt his eyes on me, but I just ignored it.

"Well, I didn't see that coming. But with the lives we live, I can't say I'm super surprised something like this happened." Nick said with a sigh.

"I think we've about seen and heard it all." Hank was leaning back in his chair watching me.

"Yeah, well. Don't be so sure." I looked back to Nick. "Apparently I have several younger siblings who don't want me to be in line for the throne. I think I have more to fear from my family than from Captain Renard's."

Nick nodded at this. "Yeah, you may be right. Hey, are you okay staying with him? We have an extra room at our place, but you might be better off with him, if I'm honest. He knows a lot more about all of this Royal stuff than we do."

At his question, my eyes slid over to the door of Sean's office. Our eyes locked. "Yeah. We're fine." Sean's jaw was clenched but he didn't look angry or anything, he actually looked slightly remorseful, something that I had yet to see. Was he sorry for kissing me? Pushing the thought from my mind, I cleared my throat.

"I should go." My phone buzzed and I glanced down to look at the message that had come through. It was Juliette. I had an interview tomorrow for a job. "Check with you later?"

Nick smiled and patted my leg. "Yeah. You know how to find me. Supper tomorrow?"

"Sure, thanks." After telling Hank goodbye, I headed out and back down the road to my car. I had a lot to think about.

**oOo**

When Sean arrived home from work, I had dinner waiting. A nice dinner. I was even wearing one of the dresses that Juliette had convinced me to wear. He walked through the door and stopped before he even had a chance to close it. His green eyes surveyed the dinner and then me. His hand slowly pushed the door shut. "What's all this?" He came further into the house, shrugging out of his suit jacket and tossing it over the back of a chair. His tie was next, and it too ended up on the chair.

I shrugged uncomfortably. "An apology, I guess. Just shut up and eat." A small smile tugged the corners of mouth up slightly, and I sat down at the table. The food looked pretty great, even if I had made it myself.

Sean too smiled, just a bit, and sat down. The dinner disappeared quickly because we both had large appetites and were hungry. When he polished off the last of his food, he leaned back in his chair and watched me. "I may just have to make you angry more often."

"That would not be a good idea." I stood and dropped the napkin onto the table. "I cooked, you clean." With a wink, I headed to change of the dress.

"You look great, by the way." His words made me smile but I didn't look back.

**oOo**

"I'm sorry, what?" I didn't think it could get any more shocking. But apparently I was wrong. After I had changed and Sean had cleaned up, we moved onto the deck with some wine.

"Think about it. Two Royals, one half Grimm and the other half Wesen. We would be practically unstoppable." Admittedly, we had already finished the full bottle of wine, so neither of our minds were functioning at a hundred percent.

"Look, Sean. I don't exactly know what your views on marriage are, but this is not my idea of it." I let out a short, humorless laugh, glancing up at the night sky as I lay on the lounge chair. "I was supposed the meet the man of my dreams someday, get married on the beach. I don't know, maybe have a couple kids. You know, normal stuff."

"There's a war coming, Finley. The Royals want to rule, again, like they used to. They aren't above killing anyone and everyone in their way."

"There is no guarantee we could stop it, Sean."

"No, there isn't. But us, together? People would side with us. We would have more followers than the Royals. Wesen would much rather pledge loyalty to us than to them."

"I'm not marrying you. And I don't have any place in this war."

He looked over at me. "You have Royal blood. And you're a Grimm. Nick is in this too, you know."

"So marry _him_."

"It was just a thought. Forget it. Living with you is bad enough. I can see you being a nag." He chuckled a bit and I shot him a glare. It only made him laugh harder.

Laughter was a sound I had never heard from him but I quite liked it. I too started laughing and it was several minutes before either of us could stop. When we finally got ourselves under control, he stood up and helped me to my feet.

"Thanks. I should go to be. I have an interview tomorrow."

"You sure you want to get a job?" He asked, sliding the glass door open for me to go inside.

"No. But I can't just do nothing all day. Who knows when all this will start, if it starts, and I can't sit around doing nothing. At least working I can help some people in the process."

Sean nodded and we headed for the stairs. We were both pretty tipsy and I nearly tripped more than once going up them. His warm hand on my lower back helped, though. At the top, he kissed my cheek. "Night, Finley."

"Night."


	9. Chapter 9

**(You all continue to amaze me. Thanks for the support. Friday's episode of Grimm was INSANE. WOW. Can't wait for the finale. Although, I really don't want to go months with no Grimm. Oh well. At least Reggie talks to me on Twitter. Fun stuff. :p So I hope the story continues to surprise you a bit. I want to keep everyone hooked. Reviews still appreciated. Kind of hard to keep writing if I'm getting no feedback. Thanks!)**

The next day was super busy. I woke with a minor headache from the wine but took a short, brisk run in the cool morning air to get my blood flowing. After two cups of coffee I felt far more alive. Thoughts of my conversation with Sean the previous night swirled through my busy mind but I pushed them away. I had more important things to worry about today.

I was in my room, in the midst of trying on several different outfits on, when a knock sounded at my door. I had just slid into a royal blue dress and was thinking of wearing it, but not quite decided yet. I hadn't had this many clothes to choose from in years. "Come in." I called, reaching my arms around to zip up the snug dress. His hands pushed mine aside as he zipped the dress for me. I ignored the shiver that worked its way up my spine as his fingers grazed my neck. Moving away from him, I slid my feet into a pair of small heels before standing in front of the mirror.

"Interview today?" He asked, still standing where I had left him.

"Yeah." I took a breath before running a brush through my hair. I opted to leave it down, and grabbing my keys and wallet, I turned back to him. He was wearing a black suit, as always, with a white shirt and red tie. He looked great, again as always, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I watched him for a long time trying to imagine what Sean Renard being my husband would look like. I shook my head slightly and he raised a brow.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"I may have been slightly drunk last night, but I meant what I said."

I held up my hand. "Stop. I already said no." Marriage scared me slightly, but the thought of marrying him terrified me. I didn't know him, and I wasn't entirely sure I ever would or even if I _wanted_ to.

"You should at least consider the idea." His hands were in his pocket and his face was impassive, nothing new. This whole things seemed pretty impersonal to him. And that annoyed me. Actually, most of what he did annoyed me. Yet another reason marriage was a terrible idea.

"I did. I don't want to marry you." I said simply. "I really don't wanna talk about this anymore." Heading out of the room, I took the stairs carefully because I still wasn't the best at walking around in heels. He was following me but he didn't say anything. A quick glance at his face told me that he didn't want the conversation to be over. Too bad. It was, at least for now. His mouth opened but I held up a finger. "Seriously, Sean. Not now. I have an interview to get to. This is not the time for yet another argument.

"Fine. But this conversation isn't over." His words were matter of fact and I clenched my jaw. His eyes narrowed and our equally determined gazes met.

"Whatever, _Captain._" It was his jaw that clenched this time at my use of his title. I just turned and left before we starting fighting, something that always seemed to happen if we were anywhere near each other.

**oOo**

The interview went surprisingly smooth considering how on edge I felt. I was offered a part time position on a trial basis and I jumped at the opportunity. It was third shift, just while I was on probation, and that was more than okay with me. I needed to be spending time away from that house and from Sean. We were getting close in a friend sort of way and that needed to stop. He was getting all sorts of weird ideas.

As I sat in my car wondering what to do now, my mind flitted back to the marriage idea. It was good to just reason it out in my head. Here is an idea of how that went:

_Marriage. Well, could be interesting. No, no. It would be terrible. TERRIBLE. I hate him. He is the sexiest man I've ever seen, but I hate him. And marriage is supposed to be a symbol of love. Loving him would take far more patience than I have. But can you imagine being married to him? He is so hot. But would this marriage just be for status? Would it actually include things like kissing and sharing a bed? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it would just be a symbol to those who would pledge fealty to us. We would forever stay in separate room and keep each other at arm's length. Horrible. That would be the worst. Being his wife and not being able to touch him._

I finally pulled myself back to reality. Marriage was a terrible idea, and I had been right all along. Glancing into my rearview, I spotted a black car several parking spaces back and I tensed up. They were back. It had only taken them several days, but they were back. I sent Sean a text and let him know and he told me to come to the station.

I did as he asked, for once, and soon walked into the precinct. I got more than a few looks since I was still in the dress, but the only eyes I felt were his. I didn't even have to look toward his office to them burning a hole through me. Nick gave me an appreciative glance as I walked up. They were on their way out, or I assumed they were because he was pulling on his jacket.

"I see Juliette talked you into buying something pretty. You look great, Finley." He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "See you tonight?"

"Yeah. See you." Nick and Hank left so I headed toward Sean's office. He motioned me in, even though he was on the phone, and I sat down in one of the empty chairs. He was speaking French but when the name Mia left his mouth my gaze snapped to his face. He was talking to my half-sister. After making a face, he held out his cell phone.

I looked at it blankly for a few moments before taking it. Gingerly putting it to my ear, I spoke. "Hello?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end before I heard her voice. "Well, well, well. The long lost sister finally surfaces." Her voice was sarcastically sweet, something I knew all too well.

"Trust me, I wish I hadn't."

"Oh come on now, Finley. We aren't _that_ bad. You haven't even met us yet." Mia said with a small laugh.

"I don't plan on _ever_ meeting you, actually. So I'd say things are going according to plan." Sean was leaning back in his chair and he smirked slightly. "Look, _Mia_, I don't want to be Royal. I want nothing to do with your life. I don't ever plan on taking the throne, or whatever it is I'm in line for."

"Oh, stop. You don't have anything to fear from me." She sighed softly. "Baby brothers on the other hand…"

"So I have two younger brothers?"

"_We_ have two younger brothers. You also have another sister. Born four years before you. And then me, of course. But yes. Jean-Luc and Damien are not so happy with you. Your existence, which they just found out, annoys them a bit. You precede them in line to the throne. They won't have that."

"I don't _want_ it. Isn't that good enough for them?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't want it. One of these days you may have it, and your opinion on the subject doesn't matter. Just watch your back, Finley. And you should probably stay in Portland. Whether you like it or not, Prince Renard is your best shot at staying alive."

The phone clicked on the other end. "Mia? Mia? Dang it." I nearly slammed the phone down but remembered it wasn't mine. I slid it across the desk to him before rubbing my face with both hands. "I used to a laid back person."

"Now you're an alcoholic in need of anger management." He said with amusement.

My hands fell from my face and I glared at him. "It's all _your_ fault." He raised a brow in question. "Have you noticed that I'm only ever angry around _you_? I only ever drink around _you_?"

"And why is that, do you think?" He leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk, interlocking his fingers.

"Heck if know."

"I think…you have feelings for me. I think that you makes you angry and confused." He was staring at me intently now.

"We are _not_ having this conversation." I stood but he made it to the door before me. "Move." I said through gritted teeth.

"Why? Going to break something I don't?"

"The thought crossed my mind. Why do want to talk about this? I've known you for what, a week?"

"I want to talk about this because I'm tired of the way things are between us. You're right. We just met. But neither of us can deny there is something here."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "I don't care if there is. Sean, I'm not having this conversation." He was fast, I'll give him that. His hands had grabbed my hips and pulled me against him. His lips were on mine before I had even finished my sentence. He was good. So good in fact that I kissed him back for a few moments before I came to my senses. My hands shoved at his chest and I ripped my mouth from his. "Don't." I closed my eyes for a moment before stepping back. He let me go and I moved around him and out the door.

Quickly making my way outside and to my car, I shut the door, managing to seal myself off from the world before the tears fell from my eyes. I clamped them shut, putting both hands over my face. A handful of moments pass where sobs wracked my body. I had no idea why this was happening, but I couldn't seem to stop it.

When the tears finally ceased flowing, I stared out the windshield, fingers frantically rubbing the tear stains from my now red cheeks. Hastily turning my key in the ignition, I drove back to Sean's house and ran into the house barefoot and straight into my room. I leaned against the closed door and sank to the floor. This was all too much. Being a Grimm had been a battle in itself. Now I had the Royals to contend with, both Sean's family and now my own. I had two younger brothers who wanted to see me dead. Sean had basically proposed marriage. He admitted to feeling the chemistry or sexual tension between us. He had kissed me, twice now.

How was I supposed to handle all of this? I was quickly becoming a raging alcoholic because of the stress, but determined that I wouldn't drink anything tonight. After washing my face and changing into a bathing suit, I headed out back to Sean's in-ground pool. A nice swim would do me good.

I swam laps for close to an hour before stepping from the pool and drying off. I felt much calmer and in control now, but I wasn't looking forward to seeing Sean later tonight. Taking a nice shower and putting on some jeans and a long sleeve knit shirt, I checked my phone to see what time it was. I had a text message from Juliette telling me to come over whenever so I headed over early.

One look at my face told her something was wrong and she immediately sat me down in the kitchen to help her with the salad and to talk.

"I really don't know what to do anymore, Juliette." I said, after explaining why I was upset.

"It's okay to have feelings for him. Sometimes it just happens so fast that you don't have time to think about it. And ever since you got to Portland, everything just kind of happened. If it were me I would probably check into the mental hospital and ask for the good drugs."

This made me laugh. "I'm about to."

"The job should help distract from some of this."

My hands had been working on chopping vegetables, basically on autopilot, and I laid the knife down as I finished a cucumber. I scooped up the pieces and dropped them into the large bamboo bowl. "Yeah, I hope so." I sighed. "Living with him does not make it easy. Once I'm through with the trial period at work I'm getting my own place."

"So this marriage idea. It isn't half bad, to be honest." She said, standing to start preparations for the chicken parmesan she was making. "But I get why you don't want to. I wouldn't want to either."

A groan escaped my lips and I made a face. "Yeah. But according to him we would be unstoppable. There is some kind of war coming and we might have a chance at stopping it. But all I want to do is run away and forget all this."

"I don't blame you one bit, Finley. Not one bit."


	10. Chapter 10

**(So guys! What did you think of that last chapter? That was a fun one for me to write! More tension between Sean and Finley! Gah, all the feels are killing me and I'm writing it, haha. Keep reading, it does get more intense. At least, I hope so. Reviews still very much needed! Thanks! Also, my French is a little rough, so excuse my mistakes. It can be hard to get an exact translation sometimes.)**

Dinner was wonderful as always. It was just Nick, Juliette, and I, and I told Nick about Sean's thoughts on marriage. After a great deal of thought, Nick too thought it sounded like a brilliant idea. He agreed that with our titles, we could lead far more Wesen in the fight that would soon be upon us. He said we could change history and show that Grimms and Wesen could coexist without slaughtering each other.

Being a good guy though, Nick also understood why I didn't like the idea and had no intentions of actually doing it. After dinner and dessert, we sat around the living room with coffee.

"When do you start work?" Nick asked, his hand resting on Juliette's legs which were lying across his lap.

"Tomorrow night. So I need to stay up most of tonight and sleep tomorrow." That should be fairly easy I supposed, though I hadn't been on a third shift schedule in a very long time.

"Good luck with that. Thirds are the worst shift ever."

"I think I'll like it. Less time with Sean."

"You know, it's weird to hear someone who is on a first name basis with him." Nick said with a laugh. "He's just Captain or Renard to all of us."

"Well, living with him puts a different spin on things, I guess. Calling him Captain around home is a bit weird. I usually only do it when he is annoying me." They both laughed at this and I stood and stretched. "I better get home, guys. The Verrat is still following me."

"You armed?" Nick asked, standing along with Juliette.

"Yeah. Sean fastened a holster underneath my driver's seat. And I have a knife on me, as always." He nodded and leaned forward, kissing my cheek. Nick and I had already become close friends and it was nice to know that I had a group of people that had my back.

Juliette hugged me tightly for a moment. "Be safe."

I thanked them for the lovely dinner and company and then left to head home. No car was following me which I found to be a bit odd. Upon arriving back home, I realized why no one had followed me. The black car was here along with a second silver one.

My heart rate instantly hit triple digits and I slammed the car into park, sliding the Glock from underneath my seat. Dialing 911, I left the phone on my seat. I didn't have time to talk and I knew they would trace the call. Clicking off the safety, I ran toward the house, sweeping the gun in front of me. The door was ajar and I carefully made my way inside.

It was unnervingly quiet but I cautiously walked through the first floor. I had just gone through the living room entry way when I heard a loud grunt of warning. I spun, but was too late. Two men jumped me, knocking the gun from my hand. My body slammed into the carpeted floor, my face taking the brunt of the impact. I yelled out in pain as I felt my nose cracking, yet again. The weight of the two men was more than I could fight, though I did try.

It only took moments from them to subdue me and tie me to a chair, next to Sean. He was more restrained than I was, probably because the strength of the Zauderbiest in him far surpassed my own. His face was bloody and already bruising. I sent him a slightly frantic look.

"Well, I have to say, you are far prettier than I expected." The tallest of the men said. He was good looking, with black wavy hair and blue eyes. He had a day or two of stubble on his face and it worked. He gripped my chin and examined my face. "Sorry about the nose, but from the look of it, it was already broken."

I jerked my face to the side and he let go with a smirk. "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me? Oh wait, of course you don't. I'm Damien Savreux Gaudot, your brother."

My heart sank and fear wormed its way through my bloodstream and into every part of my body. He was here to kill me. I guess it was lucky that he'd wanted to talk first, otherwise I'd already be dead. "_Pleasure _to meet you, Damien." I glanced at the other one, whose gun was still in hand but at his side. He didn't trust Renard not to break free and kill him. "You must be Jean-Luc." He just stared at me. "Mia said you were looking to kill me. I'm not really a threat, but apparently the French are a bit thick." Here I was, in mortal danger, and I was insulting the people that were in charge of the situation. Talk about one heck of a defense mechanism.

Damien's fist collided with my rib cage and I groaned, coughing a time or two to try and catch my breath. Sean was struggling against his restraints but to no avail. "Keep it up, Finley. I can do this all night." His accented voice said, slightly amused.

"Glad you're having fun. But it isn't really my fault that mommy's a slut." I was expecting the fist this time and he hit me so hard the chair fell over backwards. Jean-Luc now stood over me, his dark blue eyes blazing with anger.

"I'm going to kill you." His gun was pointed at my bloody face, and I closed my eyes, waiting to hear it go off. I wasn't ready to die but at least I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. My life had been pretty average and I hadn't even done one thing on my bucket list.

"Jean-Luc! Arrêtez!" The silky, feminine voice caused my eyes to snap open. I saw the elegantly dressed blonde woman enter the room, her gun trained on my brother. Mia, I assumed. "Nous avons besoin d'elle vivante." I had no idea what was being said, but I hoped she was trying to convince him to let me live.

Jean-Luc reluctantly lowered the gun and backed away, but he was none too happy about it. "Elle n'est pas famille." That I understood. He was right, too. I wasn't family, not for real. Family had nothing to do with blood.

"She is, whether you like it or not." Mia switched to English, thankfully, and walked over, looking down at me and then over to Renard. She winced a bit. "Did you have to ruin his face?" She asked, running a finger along Sean's cheek bone.

Damien was about to answer but then his gaze snapped to the door as the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. The three of them headed for the door, but Jean-Luc looked at me over his shoulder. "Ce n'est pas terminé, _soeur_." His words nearly dripped with venom.

They were gone in an instant and we heard their cars tearing away from the house. My tense body relaxed and I groaned softly. "Finley? Are you okay?" Sean's voice was fraught with concern.

"Peachy."

A few moments later, the door crashed open and Nick, Hank, and the man I now knew as Sgt. Wu came in, guns sweeping in front of them. "They're gone." Sean told them, and they holstered their weapons. Nick and Hank lifted my chair into a sitting position and untied me while Wu attended to Renard.

As Nick finished slicing through the cord that had held my wrists, Hank called for an ambulance. We both needed to be looked at, so neither of us protested. I rubbed my wrists before accepting a hand towel from Wu. My face hurt, badly, and my ribs were smarting. The towel was soon covered in blood, as was Sean's. He looked worse, probably because they had time with him before I had arrived. He had put up a fight, as had been evidenced by the few bruises I had noticed on Damien's face.

Finally able to look around a bit, I noticed a taser that was tossed haphazardly a few feet away from Sean's chair. So that is how they had managed to subdue him. I looked over at him and he was doing great with acting like he was okay.

The paramedics soon showed up and began attending to our wounds. After cleaning my face, they told me it was possible that I had a concussion. I wasn't surprised but I knew what to do so I wouldn't bother going to the hospital. Sean didn't want to go either, so I agreed to stitch the one spot on his face that needed it.

I gave Wu my statement while Sean talked with Nick. Hank checked the house just to be safe and when they were all satisfied, everyone left. A patrol car would be outside, just for added protection, and I had to admit that made me feel a bit safer. It took me only a few minutes to stitch the cut on Sean's face and then we changed clothes before collapsing onto the couch, holding bags of frozen vegetables to our sore faces.

I looked over at him. "You okay?" Our eyes met and he nodded.

"Yeah. I will be. You?"

"As good as can be expected." I winced as I used a finger to prod at my face. "After this past week, I really need plastic surgery. My poor nose will never be the same." The paramedics had set it, but there was no guarantee that it would heal correctly. This past week I had been attacked more than I usually was in three months' time. Apparently I was great at taking a beating, but I wasn't enjoying any of it. I really wanted a distraction so I glanced back at him. "Nick thinks marrying you would be smart." Sean would want to talk about this sooner or later, so I figured now was best. Neither of us had the energy to argue or fight about it.

"He's right."

I yawned and my face erupted into a volcano of pain. They had done some damage with that takedown. Taking a few minutes to breathe, I spoke again. "Doesn't mean I plan on doing it, pretty boy."

"Could it really be any worse than this?" He had me there. I wasn't sure that anything could be worse than the way I was feeling right now.

"You make a good point. The answer is still no. I want to marry for love, not to win some war that may or may not happen." We were both reclined against the back of the couch, feet on the coffee table.

"The war is happening, and probably soon. Tonight was just an example. They will find a way to kill you. Mia won't always be around to keep your brothers from taking you out of the Royal running." He grunted slightly and he rearranged to get comfy.

"Then we will find another way. Marriage is not an option."

The conversation ended after that and went spent the next several hours watching TV and keeping each other awake, just to be cautious. I would call work tomorrow and explain what happened, seeing if I could start next week.

**oOo**

My eyes slowly opened, blinking at the bright sunshine that was shining directly into them. Groaning softly, I glanced around. I was still in the living room, sprawled out on the couch. My head rested on one of the throw pillows, and that pillow happened to be on Sean's lap. His head was leaning back against the couch, lips slightly parted as he slept. The bruising on his face was much more evident now, but somehow he managed to look peaceful. His body was relaxed and devoid of the tension it normally carried. I had never seen him like this so I took a moment to enjoy it. People like him didn't get relaxed. Relaxed was dangerous, but after last night, we had both slept like logs.

His hand rested lightly on my torso and I was comfortable. I wasn't sure what time it was but I was guessing close to noon. Seeing my phone on the coffee table, I reached for it, trying not to disturb Sean. One of the guys must have grabbed it from my car last night. I had been too busy to worry about it. It was ten past noon and I softly. My head and face were throbbing so I gingerly moved to sit up. His hand tightened on my torso.

"But I'm comfortable." His words were slightly gravely from sleep. I hadn't known he was awake.

"Me too. But I want some Tylenol. Do you have any?"

He nodded slightly and carefully helped me sit up so he could stand. "Yeah. Be right back." I laid back down on the now empty couch and covered my face with my hands, gently of course. I needed a nice shower to wash off the dried blood and a change of clothes. But first, I needed to call my boss. I hadn't even started the job yet and already it could be in jeopardy.

**(2 reviews on the last chapter! Yay. Thanks, guys!**

**Happy Owl: **The line about being an alcoholic in need of anger management was my favorite! Glad you are loving the story! Hope things continue to play out the way you like.

**XxMangoQueenxX: **Thanks for reviewing! I am a fan of short chapters, and I want to keep you wanting more. Haha. Mean, I know. But I love to see people anticipating what will come next. The marriage proposal was just off the top of my head, so I ran with it. Glad you liked it. Also, even though I haven't reviewed or followed your current Grimm story, I am keeping track of it on my phone. Loving it!

**Some of the sentences above were in French, so here are translations for those who don't speak or understand it: ** Mia said: "Jean-Luc! Stop! We may need her alive." Jean-Luc replied: "She is not family." And before he left, he said: "This is not over, _sister_."**)**


	11. Chapter 11

**(Chapter 11 and I'm already over 20k words! Wow. This is huge for me. Knowing I have people waiting on new content keeps me going. Thanks for reading and following! Reviews make me happy, and a happy author is a good thing. Sorry it took me a few days to update. My son hasn't been sleeping well at all, meaning I'm not either.**

**In other news, SASHA ROIZ RETWEETED ME! AHHH! I screamed like the fan girl I am. I wasn't even trying to get retweeted at that particular moment, but he did. Made me entire month, possibly even my life! Haha. How many people can say their favorite actor retweeted them?) **

My boss, Mike Douglas, answered on the second ring, and I levered my sore body into a sitting position. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mike." I found it weird calling him by his first name, but he had insisted during the interview. "I've got a little problem." I explained to him about being attacked, though I changed some details.

"Wow. Well, the job will definitely be waiting for you. I will call on Monday and see how you are."

"Thanks, Mike. Sorry about all this."

"No problem. Just get better."

I was off the phone by the time Sean returned with orange juice and Tylenol for both of us. I gratefully downed the cold liquid, along with three extra strength pills. "Thanks." After finishing the delicious, I leaned back against the couch. "You not going to work? It is Thursday, you know."

"They can manage without me for a day or two." I raised a brow and sent him a shocked look. "What?"

I laughed. "You. Taking a day or two off? You're are the most workaholic person I've ever met."

He rolled his eyes, something else I'd never seen him do. "Oh, shut up, Finley. I'm taking a couple days off because someone's brothers messed up my face."

"That's my fault, I know." I groaned and stood, pacing back and forth a bit. "Everyone says this is the safest place for me, but I'm only getting people hurt."

He leaned out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me gently back to my spot on the couch. "People are getting hurt anyway, Finley. That's not your fault. None of this is."

"But they hurt_ you_." I murmured, allowing my hand to move toward his face, carefully tracing the bruising around his eye and down his jawline. His grip on my wrist tightened ever so slightly.

"I'm okay." He whispered, his gaze dropping from my eyes to my lips. I knew where this was heading so I dropped my hand, pulled my wrist from his grasp, and stood, disappeared to get a drink. When I returned, he was still staring at me, slight annoyance in his eyes. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't ask what I knew he was about to.

"Every time we have a moment, you run away."

"We have kissed twice, don't forget." I tried to deflect, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Only because I didn't give you chance to say no." He stood and took a step toward me, and I reciprocated by taking a step back. "Do I scare you, Finley?"

"No."

"Then prove it." He took a few more steps toward me, hands hanging loosely by his sides.

I backed up again. "I don't have to prove anything to you." My defenses were up now, my hands curled into tight fists. But unfortunately my back was up against a wall. Literally.

Sean advanced on me until our bodies were mere inches apart. I had to tilt my head back to look at his face because I was barefoot and my head barely cleared his broad shoulders. "No, you don't."

"I should never have come here. My brothers would never have found out about me. My face wouldn't be all broken. You wouldn't be pressuring me into something that terrifies me.

"So I do scare you." His gaze did not irritation or annoyance. Instead it held care and want, something that frightened me.

"_This_ scares me. I don't know how to have a relationship anymore, Sean. I don't even know if that's what you want."

His hand took mine gently, hesitantly even. "Close your eyes. Just for a moment. Forget that you're a Grimm and I'm part Wesen. Forget we come from Royal bloodlines. Forget that people want us dead and that we feel like someone ran over us." I sighed softly and did as he suggested. Slowly my mind cleared of the fear and confusion and I felt the tension leaving my body. "Now what do you want?" His voice was so soft I barely heard him.

"I want you to kiss me." I murmured honestly, my eyes still closed. My hands reached out and fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer to me. The hand that had previously been holding my own, slid around my waist, pulling my body against his own. The other hand braced on the wall beside my head as I felt his warm lips on mine.

The kiss was slow and gentle, something that Sean Renard never struck me as capable of. The fire I had been trying to ignore ignited in my belly and spread quickly throughout my veins. The kiss deepened slightly and our noses bumped painfully. Pulling away with a small grin, a giggle escaped from my now slightly swollen lips. He stared at me for a moment before amusement filled his eyes and he began to laugh too.

It was something he probably hadn't done in a long time and I found I liked the sound. We collapsed on the couch, laughing until our sides hurt and my eyes were watering. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. I laid my cheek on his chest as the laughter subsided. "Have you ever seen two more pathetic people?" I asked, glancing into his face.

"No. I think we take the cake." He smiled down at me. "Feel better?"

I nodded and pulled away to look at him. "I guess. But we have to talk about this."

"I'm listening." His green eyes were trained on my face.

"I'm not the kind of girl that will fall into bed with you. I don't even _want_ to have sex before marriage. This situation isn't exactly ideal, I understand that, but I want to do this right. We have a million things going against us, so I need to take this slow."

"I can deal with that."

"Really?" I was bit shocked. From what I'd heard about him, he had no problem loving and leaving women.

"Really. Finley, I've been with a lot of woman, that's no secret. I have a daughter with a woman I wanted to love but never could. I've made a lot of mistakes and bad choices. But I don't want this to be another one of them. Believe it or not, I want to do this right too."

"Do you miss her? Diana, I mean." I couldn't imagine not having my baby with me.

He nodded slightly. "Yeah. I didn't get much time with her at all, but that is probably for the best. I don't really know how to be a father, considering mine didn't raise me."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually think you would be pretty good at it." I smiled a bit and sighed. "So what now? I think people with concussions are supposed to rest."

"I've never been very good at resting."

"Me either."

**(This chapter is short, I'm aware. The next one will be longer. Promise. So things between Sean and Finley have taken a good turn. But will it stay like that? Who knows? Thanks for reading and following. I love you all! Will write and post Chapter 12 ASAP. **

**Mistress-siren:** Thanks for the review, my dear! Glad you love the story. Renard is definitely my favorite character on the show. He has so much depth and I hope I am staying true to his character. I'm hoping to bring out a side of him we don't often see on the show. Thanks for reading!**)**


	12. Chapter 12

**(Wow. Chapter 12. To be honest, I never thought anyone would like this and I never expected to write this much! Thanks for following, favoriting, and reviewing!)**

Over the course of the weekend, Sean and I made the decision that I would move out and stay with Nick and Juliette until I secured an apartment of my own. After all, one could not live with the person they were dating and expect that nothing sexual would happen.

Since I didn't have a whole lot of stuff anyway, the move was quick and easy. I had to admit that I would miss living in the slightly extravagant house with the big deck and the pool. I would go over there of course, but work would keep us both pretty busy. My face was healing nicely, and Juliette taught me the fine art of applying some makeup which helped me look a lot less beat up. Sean too was healing, which made me feel a bit less guilty that my brothers had caused him pain.

It was weird, the feelings I had for him. Part of me constantly wanted to strangle him, especially when he stared me down in order to get an answer I was unwilling to give. Another part of me wanted to run away as fast and as far as I could. The thought of getting any closer to him scared the life out of me. Then there was the part that wanted to hold on to him and never let go. It wanted to fall in love with him, consider his marriage proposal, and spend forever with him. And that was the part I hated most. I just knew, even though we had agreed to try this, that it would only end in flames.

I stood in my new room, staring out the window at nothing in particular. It was raining, a pretty normal occurrence here, and I watched it run down the pane of glass in front of me. When his hands settled on my shoulders, I leaned into the touch. "You all good." His voice was close to my ear and it made a shiver travel the length of my spine.

"Yeah." I turned and smiled at him. "You didn't have to help me, you know. I had very little to bring over here."

"I know." Sean smiled slightly and leaned it for a kiss.

Like all of our kisses thus far, it made the fire in my belly ignite. I was in his arms, my own arms wrapped around his neck, one hand in his short hair. When Juliette cleared her throat, I jumped away from him as if he'd caught on fire. She grinned knowingly as I cleared my throat and rubbed at my lips.

"Just making sure you were settling in but I see you are." She said with that same grin still plastered on her face.

"It's great, thanks."

"I have to get back to work. I'll see you." Sean said, before giving Juliette a nod and leaving. I heard him go downstairs and neither Juliette nor I spoke until we heard the front door close behind him.

"Well, well, well. I see things have changed since last we spoke." Juliette said, sitting down on the bed and patting the space next to her.

I plopped down and sighed. "Yeah. We're giving it a try. Hence the reason I moved in. Wanted to take it slow and whatnot."

"Well, that's good. And I think you'll be really good for him. He needs someone like you."

I chuckled a bit. "We're gonna end up killing each other. I don't really think it will work. I feel like the only time we aren't arguing is when we're kissing."

"Yeah, but he is a great kisser, isn't he?" I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was speaking from experience, so I looked at her with a brow raised in amusement.

"Sounds like you've kissed him yourself."

"Confession time, I suppose. He was the one that woke me up from the coma. I has amnesia, but the only thing or person I didn't remember was Nick. Then I started having feelings for Captain Renard. It was mutual but not normal. Apparently a side effect of waking me from the coma was that we became dangerous obsessed with each other. Thankfully Rosalee and Monroe were able to come up with a potion to stop it before we killed each other."

"Wow. Sounds intense. Wish I could blame wanting to kill him on something. Unfortunately I think it's just because he irritates me in the worst way possible."

This made her laugh. "Yeah, he is great at that. I hope it works for you guys."

I wanted to say me too but I wasn't sure what I wanted at this point. "Thanks." Was all that I said. Juliette was staring at me. "What?"

"Do you _want _it to work?"

I shrugged slightly. "I've never had anything in my life that lasted. Only loneliness. I don't know how to have a relationship with him. I'm…scared to get too attached. There are people trying to kill us, after all."

"I know. The Captain hasn't had a lot of thing in his life last either, from what I know of him. Who knows? Maybe you become that for each other." Juliette said, patting my leg. With a smile, she stood and left and I flopped back onto the bed to stare at the ceiling. Maybe she was right. Maybe she wasn't. Who knew?

**oOo**

Monday dawned and I was thankful. It was then I decided to have a run before going to sleep. I had managed to keep myself up all night because I needed to get on a third shift sleep schedule. Mike had left a message and when I'd called him back, he said I could work if I felt up to it. I did and I was going crazy doing nothing. It had been a long time since I practiced medicine but I was pretty sure it was like riding a bike. I still remembered everything I had once learned.

I napped most of the afternoon so I would feel rested that night for work, and when it came time, I was more than ready. Applying makeup and slipping into jeans and a tee, I headed outside to my car. The drive to the fire station was quiet, and thankfully no one was following me. Maybe it would be awhile before I saw any of my demented family again.

When I arrived, a uniform was waiting for me in an open locker. I quickly changed to find it was almost a perfect fit. I walked into the 'living room' of the station and smiled at the people scattered in various chairs and couches.

"Welcome, Rookie." A guy said, standing and sticking out his hand. "I'm Martin. Nice to meet you." His shirt told me he was a firefighter.

"Finley." They would call me Rookie anyhow, though, simply because I was new here. It had been the same in Miami.

They went around the room introducing themselves, which was nice. The paramedics consisted of three guys and another girl. Danny, Cal, Holden, and Rissa "Thank God I'm not the only girl anymore. Glad to have you here." The firefighters were all guys. Tim, Martin, Colsen and Levi.

I sat down at the table with Rissa and Tim. "Thanks. Glad to be here."

"Where ya from?" Cal asked from where he was sprawled out on the long couch. He was long and lean, with dirty blond hair. It was a bit shaggy but it seemed to fit him.

"Florida. Miami, mostly."

"How you'd end up in Portland?" This question was from Levi. He seemed like a quiet guy and he was holding a copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird _in his hands.

"Quite by accident. But I ended making some friends and uh, I don't know. I like it here. Maybe enough to put down roots." Their questions were a bit unexpected, but I was okay to answer most of them. They wanted to get to know me, and that was understandable.

"Are you single?" Colsen asked with a silly smile. He was the typical boy next door type, with dark brown hair and piercing gray eyes. Definitely cute.

"Um, not really, I guess. I'm not quite sure." Rissa gave me an amused look. "Well I've only been in town like two weeks. It's complicated, but I think I might be dating this guy…I mean, we are dating but don't have a label that I know of."

"Would we know him?" Rissa was grinning now, pumping me for information. I felt my cheeks heat.

"Probably." She was clearly waiting for an answer. "Uh, Sean Renard. Captain of the Portland Police Department."

"Whoa." She said, genuinely shocked. "I wasn't expecting that. I've always admired that tall drink of water from afar. And you land him in two weeks?"

"I didn't land him. We just…I don't know."

During my conversation with Rissa, I didn't notice that Martin had left the room. He chose that moment to return and he was looking at me. "Uh, you have a visitor."

"Me?" I asked. Who would visit me here, on my first day, at eleven at night?

"Yep. Some gorgeous, rich looking, blonde lady."

Oh great. Apparently, Mia had come to see me. "Great…"

"Should I send her away?"

"Good luck." I muttered as I reluctantly stood and headed for the small lobby like entrance. Mia was waiting, all dressed up in some expensive dress and heels. I saw the look on her face as she took in my t shirt, tactical pants, and tactical boots. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked, my arms crossing over my chest.

She smiled a bit. "You should be a bit nicer to me, Finley. After all, I did save your life."

"Oh, well excuse me. Many thanks, Your Majesty." I gave a mock bow, much as I had done to Sean. "But I got the impression you stopped Jean-Luc from killing me only because you think I may be useful later."

Her blue eyes, exactly like my own, rolled at my bow. A hand rested on her perfect hip and she sighed. "While that may be true, I still saved you. Hard to please, aren't you? Acting like Royalty already."

"I don't want to be Royal!" I was trying to keep my voice down so the others wouldn't overhear.

"Neither did Sean. But what you _want_ does not change who you _are._" She said, moving closer. "We're not all terrible. Look, Finley…" She looked around and stepped closer, her voice lowering dramatically. "The Royal Families, all seven of them, are planning something huge."

"So I've heard."

"There is no running from this, Finley. You'll just die. So get in this fight. You're a Royal. And whether you like it or not, you can help. So help." With that, she left.

Well that had been fun. With a groan, I walked back into the room where everyone was laughing about something. "Everything okay? Who was that?" Martin asked.

"My sister…" A call came through so I didn't have to explain further.

The call was about a minor car accident. There were only minor injuries, thankfully, and I was able to begin easing back into the field of medicine. I was riding with Holden tonight, and he let me take the lead, just to see how good I was. When we arrived back at the station I smiled at him. "Not too bad for a rookie, huh?" I asked with a grin.

"Not bad at all." He said with a wink.

**(Kelwtin2spar: **Thanks for reading and reviewing! Glad you are enjoying!**)**


	13. Chapter 13

**(More follows and favorites! You guys are all sorts of awesome! :D Thanks for reading. So sorry it took me so long to update. Been crazy around here lately with my son's first birthday and family visiting. Thanks for bearing with me!)**

The rest of the night was uneventful and I even got a short nap. It was fun and friendly around the station and I was glad that I fit in alright. By morning, I was tired and ready to go home and sleep. I changed into my street clothes before leaving and sighed as I walked out the door. I drove home and nearly collapsed into bed. It would take a few days to get my body on the new schedule. But until then, coffee would be my best friend.

Deciding I wanted to change first, I drug my tired body off the bed and stripped down to my underclothes. Slipping into some comfy pajamas, I slid back into the bed. It was comfy but not nearly as comfortable as the one I had slept in at Sean's house. Even so, I was asleep in what felt like minutes.

When I awoke, it was almost five in the evening and the sun was still up. I hadn't set an alarm so I was glad I hadn't slept until dark. I had time to go for a run or something. Getting up, I decided to forgo the run and instead took a nice shower. I slipped into jeans and a tee, my normal attire, and headed downstairs. The smells emanating from the kitchen were wonderful and I figured that Nick and Juliette were getting ready to have supper.

"Hey!" Juliette said when she saw me. "Supper is almost ready. How was your first night?" She asked, handing me some wine. These people really enjoyed their wine.

"Great. Only one call so it was pretty quiet. And everyone is really great."

"Glad to hear it. See? You fit in so well here in Portland."

I took a long sip of the sweet red liquid and sighed. I hoped she was right. Because I still felt I was a danger to everyone around me.

"Honey, I'm home." Nick called as he came through the front door.

"In here." Juliette replied as I chuckled. They made such a great couple. "We're just about ready to eat."

Juliette and I quickly set the table for three people and were just sitting down to eat when there was a knock. I volunteered to answer, simply because I was scared my brothers had come back. When I saw his face in the glass panel at the top of the door though, I smiled.

I opened the door and bit my lip to hold back a bigger grin. "Hi."

"Hey." He said, hands in his pockets. "You busy?"

"Uh, just about to sit down and eat."

"Well, if it isn't too late, I was hoping you would go to dinner with me."

I smiled at this. "It's not too late. Give me just a second." I hurried back into the dining room and shot Nick and Juliette a sheepish look. "Sean's here to take me to dinner. Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Go! Eat, drink, and be merry." Nick said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my jacket from the coat hook before heading outside to meet Sean. He was waiting and opened the door to his SUV for me. When he too got in, I turned toward him. "Good day at work?"

"I was about to ask you the same. But I'll answer first, I suppose. Nothing major on my end. Pretty quiet day, in fact."

"Same. One car accident, and one older lady that fell. That's it. Night shift is slow around here it seems. Which I guess is a good thing." I smiled at him. He was still wearing the suit he had worn to work, or so I assumed, and I felt underdressed in my jeans and red t shirt. "Can I ask where we're going?"

"Sure." He answered, a small smirk sliding onto his lips though his eyes stayed on the road.

Rolling my eyes, I spoke again. "Where are we going?"

"I know this great hole in the wall Japanese place."

"Oh, I love Japanese food. Sounds great." His gorgeous eyes slid to meet mine, but only for a second.

A few short minutes later, we arrived at the little place and he stepped out, coming around to open my door. I turned in my seat, but didn't step out just yet. My hands reached up and loosened his tie, and his head ducked so I could pull it off. He slid off the suit coat and I laid it on his seat. I then undid the top two buttons of his dress shirt. A smirk tugged at his lips as I stood and smiled up at him.

"Much better." I whispered, before stepping around him and toward the door.

We ordered and ate a delicious dinner, conversing about random topics. When the topic of us came up, I didn't particularly want to discuss it. When he kept insisting, I got annoyed. Since I was done eating, I stood up and stalked out the door. Predictably, he followed.

"How is it that you can never talk about this without getting angry?" He was behind me and thankfully the tiny parking lot was empty. I didn't bother answering or turning around but that irritated him so I wasn't surprised when he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. "Answer me."

"No. I don't wanna talk about it. Can't you just let it happen?"

"Because believe it or not, Finley, some of us like to have a plan. I thought we could at least have a conversation about where this might go."

"You can't plan out a relationship."

"No, but you can talk about it."

"I don't want to." I said, finally yanking my arm from his grasp.

With a look of annoyance on his face, he backed me into the side of his SUV. "You know what I think? I think liking someone the way you like me scares you. I think the thought of falling in love with me terrifies you. Why can't you be honest and just tell me how you feel?"

I put my hands on his chest and shoved. He let himself be shoved away and I stood up a bit straighter. "I'm done with this, Sean. I can't do this anymore. All this fighting and arguing. I'm out." I headed for the street and hailed a cab.

"So you're just running away?" Sean called after me.

I opened the door of the cab before turning back. "Apparently it's what I do best."

By the time I got back to Nick and Juliette's, I was almost in tears and I quietly and quickly made my way upstairs and closed myself in my room. My back rested against the closed door and I allowed my body to slide to the floor. I covered my face and let the tears fall.

I did like Sean more than I cared to admit. But in reality it would never work. We just didn't get along a lot of the time. Running away was easier than talking about feelings in my world. Sean was always backing me into corners, literally, and that just put me on the defensive. How could I tell him that I didn't think it would work? Our lives were complicated. We were very different. I was a Grimm and he was a Wesen.

He was the sexiest man I'd ever, but that had nothing to do with us working out or not. He was right. I was terrified to fall in love with him mainly because I knew that one way or another we could never be together. I was afraid he would be taken from me or that he would leave. That fear was something I couldn't voice, at least not yet. So I ended it before it had even started. It was best that way.

I calmed myself down and redid my makeup before heading to work. I had my second shift tonight and was grateful for the distraction. The first call came as soon as I clocked in and changed, so I hopped in the passenger seat of the ambulance and buckled in as we headed for what was a pretty bad crash site, according to the dispatched. Rescue Squad had arrived minutes before us and were already using the jaws to free a trapped passenger. Grabbing a med bag, Holden and I raced for the second car and let the other EMTs have the first car.

The woman was shoved against the steering wheel, tears streaming down her face. The car was mangled and I could see she wouldn't be getting out until the firefighters could assist. Holden moved the back and yanked the door open, his eyes coming to rest on the toddler strapped in a carseat. The child was unconscious and silent.

"Ma'am? I'm Finley. Can you tell me your name?" My latex covered hand reached in and felt her neck for injuries. She had smashed her head against the steering wheel and a cute was bleeding profusely over her eye.

"Jana. Please get my baby. Is he okay? I don't hear him." She was nearly sobbing now and I needed to get her calm.

"Jana, my partner Holden is with your son, okay? You need to tell me where it hurts. Can you turn your head towards me?" She moved to do as I had asked and winced in pain. "Alright, I'm going to put this neck brace on." I quickly put in in place and pulled out some gauze pads, applying pressure to her eye. Again she winced in pain. But this time her face shifted. Fucsbau.

When she noticed that I was seeing her, she pulled back slightly in fear but I held up my hand. "I'm not gonna hurt you." I whispered so Holden couldn't hear me. She blinked a few times before nodding and shifting back.

The rescue squad were behind me now and I moved away. "Watch her leg. I think her femoral has been hit. I can't see but something is keeping her from bleeding out." I moved over to Holden and helped him lay the child on a backboard. He was only about two and it broke my heart.

"He isn't breathing. Can you intubate?" I nodded and moved behind the small head that was covered in thick blond hair. He handed me the laryngoscope and I tilted the boy's head back, and inserted the tool into his small mouth. His vocal cords were easily visible and I slid the child size tube into place before tossing the scope back to Holden and pulling the wire from the tube. He bagged the boy and I listened for clear lung sounds.

"Good. We need to move him." Another ambulance had arrived and we left the mother in their care, quickly loading the boy into our own and heading for the hospital. I drove and let Holden tend to the boy. I sighed in relief knowing that I had correctly and quickly intubated the boy, possibly saving his life. I had missed this job.

**(I don't have time to respond to the two reviews, but thank you! I love that you love this story! Enjoy the latest installment.)**


	14. Chapter 14

**(Thanks for the guest reviews! I'm updating as quickly as I can, so bear with me. Sean and Finley's relationship crumbled within like a day. Not too surprising, but still heartbreaking. For me, anyway. We will see what happens from here!)**

Once we filled out our paperwork and our gurney was returned to us, Holden and I headed back to the station. On the way, it was quiet, but I could tell Holden wanted to say something. He was what most would call middle aged. Around forty-five I was guessing. His black hair was graying at the temples but I thought it made him better looking. He was only a few inches taller than me and in great shape. He was also a pretty quiet guy it seemed.

"Spill." I told him.

He glanced at me with a quick raise of his eyebrows before looking back to the road and speaking. "Are you okay? When you came to work it looked like something was weighing on you." So he was perceptive too. Good to know.

"I don't know." I told him honestly. There wasn't much I could tell him about my life or what I was going through. "The guy I was kind of seeing…we had a falling out."

"Sorry to hear that." His voice was gentle and I could tell his concern for me was genuine.

"We've pretty much hated each other since we met so it was silly to think it could work anyway. Just took us actually trying to figure it out." I groaned softly and leaned my head back. "I alternate between wanting to punch him and wanting to hug him."

Holden chuckled at this. "I've had a relationship or two like that myself. The last one lasted for twenty years."

"Wow."

"Yeah. My wife died two years ago, but we had been together for twenty years before I lost her. It was like we couldn't get along the first year, but after that, it got better. We fit perfectly."

"I'm sorry. About her death, I mean."

"Don't be. I spent many wonderful years with her. I have two kids. Luke is nineteen and Danny is seventeen. We all miss her like crazy but thank God for the time we had her."

"That's beautiful. I hope to have that someday."

He reached over and patted my knee as we pulled into the station. "You will. Have faith."

I wanted to believe what he was telling me but it was hard. Things were far more complicated for me it seemed. Sure, everyone had issues and battles. But I seemed to have so much more on my plate than everyone else.

That night we had a few calls here and there, but nothing as serious as the car accident at the beginning of my shift. We played a few friendly rounds of poker, with Colsen teasing that we should be playing the strip version.

When I left that morning, I was feeling better about the whole blow up with Sean. At least now I didn't have the pressure of a relationship to worry about. Juliette's car was still there when I arrived so I figured she had the day off.

I found her in the living room, doing some yoga, and she raised a brow as I walked into the room. "I heard you crying before you left for work. Wanna talk about it?"

I collapsed into the closest chair and waited while she brought us both wine. Couldn't have serious conversations without alcohol. And wine was a good choice. "He wanted to talk about where things might go. I didn't, mainly because I really didn't believe they were. So I broke it off and caught a cab home."

"Well…" She really didn't know what to say to that. "How did he feel about that?"

"Told me I was running away. But I was, and I am, and I just don't care. I can't handle it all right now. I've got my job and the whole thing with my brothers hating me to worry about."

"I'm behind you, no matter what, okay? You make the choices that are best for you."

"But if a war is coming like Sean says, my choices are going to affect a lot more people than just myself. This is a lot of responsibility for someone like me." I sighed and finished the wine. "Thanks for listening, but I'm pretty tired. Gonna hit the sack."

We stood and she hugged me. "Night, Finley. Try and rest."

Bed felt wonderful but it took me awhile to fall asleep with everything that was on my mind. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep when an almost silent rustle woke me. I lay still, my eyes closed and my breathing steady. Whoever was here didn't need to know I had awoken. Even though it was perfectly quiet now and I couldn't see anything, I could feel the presence in my room. It was broad daylight so whoever was here was pretty brave and not afraid to be seen.

I felt the air around me shift slightly and I knew they were hovering over me. With startling speed, my eyes popped open and I sat up, my hand closing around the throat of my brother. I had the element of surprise so I used the momentum of sitting up to drove him off the side of the bed and to the floor. Jean-Luc only grinned as his head hit the floor and I felt the needle too late. Glancing down, I saw the syringe sticking from my thigh.

Yanking it out, I looked at him as my vision started to blur. My last action was stabbing him in the neck before everything went black.

I awoke with a massive headache and my ears popping in discomfort. My blue eyes opened and when my vision cleared, I took in my surrounds. A plane. I was on a plane, thousands of feet in the air. It was a private jet, obviously, so there were only two other people with me. My brothers.

My back was hurting and I straightened, the zip ties biting into my wrist where they held my hands captive on the armrests. Damien sat across from me, smiling at my discomfort. "Hello again, sister."

"Damien." I muttered. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere over the Atlantic, by now. You've been out for a while." He said, standing and walking over to what I figured was a mini bar. He poured a tiny bottle of whisky into a glass before moving back over to me. "Drink?" Without waiting for answer, he put the glass to my lips and tilted it.

Quickly opening my mouth, I swallowed the amber liquid and almost relished the burn. I managed to finish it all without spilling more than a few drops down my chin. He took the glass back to the bar and put it back before sitting down across from me once again, the smile still in place. Jean-Luc entered the cabin from the cockpit, and he too plopped into a seat across from, a cold glare on his handsome face.

"I told you this wasn't over, Finley. Nice to see you again."

"Can't say I feel the same, baby brother." I said with annoyance. He moved to get up and hit me but Damien stopped him.

"Calm down, Jean-Luc. You'll have your chance." Damien said gruffly.

The plane rocked slightly from turbulence and I looked out the window next to me. The clouds cleared long enough for me to see nothing but water. He was right. We were a long way from the place I dared to call home. I wasn't sure where exactly they were from so I wasn't sure where we were headed. I just knew it wasn't a good situation to be in. Sean would have no idea where to find me, meaning it was up to me and me alone to get out of this, hopefully unscathed.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, hoping they would answer. I'd never traveled out of the county so anywhere we went would be totally new to me. Trying to get back to the US without a passport was going to be so much fun.

"Vienna." Damien answered.

"Vienna? Isn't that where the Renard family is from?"

"It is. Yes. We're headed to meet with Prince Viktor." That made my blood run cold. Sean had told me how ruthless the man, even more so than my younger brothers.

"Sounds like a party."

Thankfully, the rest of the flight was quiet and gave me time to collect my thoughts. I had no idea how to get out of this. I obviously couldn't take them alone, considering they had the upper hand. I wasn't exactly sure what was coming but I figured that I wouldn't be getting out alive.

**oOo**

When the plane eventually touched down, I was nervous. My outward appearance showed no sign of that though, and an annoyed look was plastered to my face. My heart was racing though and the fear was working its way into every part of my body. They cut the zip ties, immediately replace them with handcuffs, effectively restraining my arms behind my back. They didn't trust me not to fight or try and bolt, which made me slightly proud. I was worth restraining, though it would be harder to get away now.

I was shoved into the back of a black car with Damien, because it was evident that he didn't trust our baby brother to control himself. I pushed all of Jean-Luc's buttons, and apparently I was wanted alive.

After a not so long drive, we passed through some huge, wrought iron gates and down a long drive. The property was quite massive, I could already tell. The mansion that loomed in front of us was unlike anything I'd ever laid eyes on. In a normal situation, I would want the full tour to appreciate the architecture. But now I wanted to be far, far away from this place and whatever it held. It had been a long flight and it was the middle of the night here.

The car came to a slow stop in front of the large staircase that led to the main entrance of the house. Damien slid out and pulled me out behind him, none too carefully. We entered the large palace and headed up the stairs. The ceilings felt miles high and I glanced around as we worked our way to the top of the stairs. Taking a right, we soon entered what looked like a conference room, and I was shoved into a chair.

Two men stood on either side of the double doors we had entered though, and I knew they were Verrat. "Can you take these off?" I asked, my question directed at Damien. My arms were behind me and it was hard to sit comfortably. He gave me a look. "Do you see how outnumbered I am? I may be brave but I'm not stupid."

Thinking it over, he came over and pulled me to my feet long enough to un-cuff me. Grateful, I nodded my thanks before taking my seat, my fingers caressing the red welts where the zip ties had held me for hours.

We didn't have long to wait before a man walked into the room, his intense gaze immediately taking in the sight of me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I kept my eyes on his own empty ones until he stopped in front of me. He took a bit of a wide stance and crossed his arms over his chest. He was about the same height as Sean, and about the same build. They looked nothing alike, which wasn't too surprising considering they were only cousins.

No one spoke for the longest time and he eventually took a seat across the room. "Do we have plans for you." He said with a small, sinister smile.


	15. Chapter 15

**(Thanks for all of the love! You guys are giving me a big head, haha. Also, updates may be slightly slower as I'm starting a Supernatural I'm gonna answer some reviews, finally, but feel free to skip if you didn't review.**

**Kelwtim2spar (Chapter 12): Thanks! I like a slow burn relationship, so I've been trying hard to make it move slowly and build the relationship on something more than physical attraction. **** Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest (Chapter 12): Glad you love it! I'm updating as rapidly as I can. **

**Guest (Chapter13): Thanks! Hopefully they make up soon, but who knows. **

**Madimay1 (Chapter 14): Thanks! Your support is truly overwhelming. Sean is my favorite character too. Good to see that you like my OC as well. Glad you love it so much. I'm giving you more as fast as I can. **

**Happy Owl (Chapter 14): Thank you! Things are getting very intense. And he had a wonderful day! Thanks for asking. **

**Done! **** On to the story!)**

Plans. Viktor had plans for me. That made me nervous. But I smirked slightly. "Really? That's nice. Guess baby brothers aren't up to the task." My gaze shifted to Damien. "Had to call in the big guns?"

His fists clenched but he didn't strike me. Guess he was controlling himself in front of Viktor. "Viktor is our ally. His connections far exceed our own, and we have yet to tell our father about you. He would just have you killed on sight. Jean Luc would agree, but I'm older. A Grimm could come in handy, so I'm handing you over to Viktor." Damien leaned close. "It was nice meeting you, Finley."

He and Viktor spoke for several minutes in French and then shook hands before Damien left. I was now alone in the room with Viktor, the two guards having left the room with Damien.

"So Sean tells me you want a Grimm for your own purposes. Why would that be?" I asked, as he sat back down in the chair he had vacated when talking to Damien.

"A Grimm doing our bidding would be…lucrative for us."

I snickered at his words. "Well then, you've kidnapped the wrong Grimm. I'm never going to do your bidding."

He nodded slowly as he studied me. "I've done my research on you, Finley Savreux. Even though we have only known about you for a very short time, I know everything there is to know about you. Where and how you grew up, when the Kooper's adopted you, the schools you attended. I know the names of all the people you consider or considered friends." Viktor leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "So you see, it won't be very difficult at all for me to find out where exactly I should apply pressure."

He was threatening those I loved. I wasn't surprised though, from what Sean had told me. He was willing to go to great lengths. My face twitched with annoyance even though I tried to appear unfazed. His mouth ticked up slightly in the corner when he noticed. "And?"

"And I will do whatever I have to do to secure your cooperation." His voice had gone from amused to stone cold. He wasn't playing around. "So, with that being said, you should simply agree to do as I ask. If you don't, I can assure you that you will regret it."

I wanted to say no. Every part of my being was screaming no. But he was going to hurt people I knew. Kill them even. And he wouldn't stop until I agreed to work for him. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

He watched me for long minute before sitting back in his chair and smiling. "Of course." He stood and moved to the door, motioning the two guards inside. "Take her to a cell, please."

They nodded in compliance and grabbed me by the arms, quickly and efficiently yanking me from my chair. "Easy, boys." I muttered.

It was a bit of walk and we ended up in well, for lack of a better term, a dungeon. Great. Nothing good ever happened in dungeons. The shoved me into a cell and slammed the door, leaving without saying a word. "Well goodbye to you too." I called after them, before looking around.

The whole place seemed made of stone and it was damp and slightly chilly. It smelled of mildew with made me sneeze.

"And who might you be?" The female voice startled me from my thoughts and I looked to my left. I couldn't see into the next cell, but I spoke anyway.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"My name is Adalind Schade."

I raised a brow. "Well, of all people to be locked up with, it just had to be Sean's baby mama."

The voice didn't respond for a moment. "So you know Sean Renard, I take it."

"I do. Finley Kooper. So why are you locked up here?" I sat down on the ground and leaned against the wall. No point in standing up the whole time.

"I'm sure that you know about my baby being taken by the Royals. I came to do whatever I could to stay in her life. But they tell me they don't have her. So here I am." I knew a lot about her baby and how she was with Nick's mom and not the Royals. Something I planned on keeping to myself. "What about you?"

"I'm a Grimm. And apparently half Royal, but not from this family. Viktor wants to use me for his own evil purposed and I have yet to agree."

"Good luck." She murmured.

I stood again and paced, looking around and studying my surroundings. "Do you think escape is possible?" I asked, resting my arms on the thick bars of the cell door. I could tell by her voice shewas at her door too.

"Been working on it. Not sure."

"Well, if we work together and can get out at the same time, taking down the guards shouldn't be too awfully hard. I know what Hexenbiests can do." But if she could use her powers, why hadn't she escaped already?

"Powers don't work down here." We both said at the same time.

"Great. Well can you fight?"

"Not really."

I groaned and leaned my head against the bars. I was going to have to negotiate my way out of here.

When the guards came back hours later, I could tell it was daylight now. I had only managed to doze, but had gotten no real rest. I told them I wanted to speak to Viktor, so they unlocked me and took me to what appeared to be a dining room. He was eating and the shoved me into the chair next to him at the large wooden table.

A plate of food sat in front of me so I took a few bites. The eggs were cooked to perfection. He too was eating so we stayed quiet until he spoke. "Have you given my offer any thought?"

"I have." I took a long, comforting swig of my coffee before continuing. "While in Portland I learned a lot about who I am, what I am. Same goes for the Royals. Between Nick and Sean, I learned quite a lot about you. I know that the Royals want to take over again. I'm also aware of how much you hate Sean."

"Your point?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"My point is that I would make a great spy. I mean, come on. I want nothing to do with the Royals so trust me when I say they wouldn't suspect me. I can relay Sean's plans to you, tell you what is going on."

He thought about this. "If I let you go home, you will just alert them of my intentions and give me false information."

"I'm not that stupid, Viktor. You basically threatened everyone I've ever cared about, so I know you won't have a problem following through. I'm not going to let my friends get killed. I swear on their lives."

I was desperately trying to sell him on the idea. It was the only way I was getting back to Portland. I would figure something out when I got home. He still didn't seem sold. So I continued. "Sean proposed a strategic marriage recently. Two people, both half royal. One Wesen and one Grimm. The people that would follow us would far outnumber those who follow you. If I married him, I would _be_ the inner circle of the Laufer." I smiled slightly and leaned back in my chair, eyes meeting his again. "If you think you have a better way of getting information, be my guest."

He sat there, looking at me as he processed what I was saying. "All right then. But if I find you double cross me, and I _will_ find out, _everyone_ will die. Am I clear?"

He was deadly serious and I knew it. "Yes, sir. Perfectly." I knew using sir would show him that I was in agreement and that I was submitting to his authority.

"Good. Now we will fly you into France, which is where they need to think your brothers took you. Then beat you up a bit and make up some escape story. Shouldn't be too hard, considering your brothers aren't exactly geniuses. They lose their heads too easily."

He stood and so I followed suit. "You will report at least every other day. If I don't hear from you often enough, I will assume the worst." He took my arm and walked me out of the large palace and to a car. He then recited a number. "Remember that. That is how you contact me."

I nodded. "Pleasure doing business, sir." With that, I slid into the car and shut the door, letting a silent breath of relief escape my lips. It had worked. I was free to go. With conditions obviously, major conditions, but I would figure something out.

**oOo**

We arrived in France and Viktor's guys worked me over a bit before leaving me in the middle of nowhere. After a long walk, I pickpocketed a cell phone and called Sean.

"Finley? Where are you? What happened?"

"Guess." I said, my busted lip hurting. "I'm somewhere in Paris. Please come get me."

"Eiffel Tower in fifteen hours, okay? Lay low until then."

I did as he asked and fifteen hours later I ran into his arms. The tears were real. The pent up anxiety and fear finally surfaced and I cried into his chest. He helped me into the backseat of his car and told the driver to take us to a nice hotel. I stayed cuddled into his side and just held on for dear life.

After checking into a nice suite, I finally stopped crying and sat down on the bed. "Are you okay, babe?" The term of endearment slid from his lips easily and he didn't even seem to notice.

"I wanna marry you." He didn't respond. "I want this all to end. I want to take down the Royals. I want to marry you."

He nodded. "Let's talk about that later. You need a shower and some sleep."

"Okay." I moved into the large bathroom and gingerly stripped. My shoulder was bruised and smarting quite badly from where it had been dislocated during my "escape." I had other bruising already but it would heal. What mattered was that I was going home, that I was safe. For now.

The shower was warm and it made my sore body feel some better. When I was done, I slipped on one of the large, fluffy bathrobes and walked out to find Sean rolling in a cart that had some crepes and other assorted breakfast foods on it. I sat down beside him and ate only a little. My nervous stomach wouldn't hold more.

When I slid into bed, I patted the space next to me. "Hold me?"

He didn't need to be asked twice.


	16. Chapter 16

**(So sorry for the delay, guys. Life has been nuts recently. Just got back from vacation. Here it is though. Thanks for the new follows! Much love to you all.**

**Mango: Thanks again for following! I always look forward to your reviews. Glad Vienna was a surprise. Keep reading, more juicy stuff to come! ****)**

When I woke up, I was warm and safe. I heard the shower running and figured it was Sean. While he was in there, I opened the duffel bag he had brought for me and changed into some new clothes. Though it had been the last thing on my mind, I had only been in my sleep clothes when I had so tastefully been abducted by my brothers. Needless to say, a tank top and sleep shorts hadn't exactly been the kidnapping outfit of choice, so it felt good to be back in jeans and a t shirt.

Sean came from the bathroom dressed in, to my surprise, jeans and a knit shirt. I had never seen him in jeans and the look agreed with him. "Sleep okay?" He asked, his eyes softening as he took me in.

"I did. Thanks for coming to get me." I said. Moving over to him, I sighed and looked up into his face. "I was serious last night. I want to destroy the Royals. I want them gone. So let's get married."

He watched me, staring into my eyes to try and read them. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been surer of anything in my life." I curled my hands into his shirt and lifted up on my toes, pressing my lips to his. The taste of his mouth broke my heart. In the end I was betraying him. Never had anything been harder but I had been left with no choice.

When I finally pulled away, it took me more than a few seconds to catch my breath. He had kissed me like a starving man and it left me weak. This was man that I was falling in love with. This was also the man I would be betraying every day of our upcoming marriage. Pushing the dread and guilt to the dark recesses of my mind, I smiled at him. "We should leave. They'll be looking for me."

"I have a plane ready and waiting." He said, scooping up both of our duffels in one easy motion. When he held the door for me, I stepped into the hallway, pretending to take in my surroundings. I knew that no one was coming for me but I couldn't let on to that fact. I was supposed to have escaped from my captors and I needed to keep up the ruse.

The drive to the private airfield was short and quiet. I watched from the corner of my eye as Sean continuously checked for a tail as we drove down the busy Parisian streets. We quickly boarded the small but luxurious aircraft, and were in the air in no time, headed for home.

I stretched out on the leather couch that lined the wall on one side of the plane. He sat across from me and stared out the window. My eyes roamed his profile as I lay there, my brain moving a million miles a minute. He was handsome and underneath his cool, professional shell, he had a heart. One she had seen and one she was quickly falling in love with. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, and I watched at his Adam's apple bobbed momentarily.

Sean Renard was weary and I knew it. His whole life had been one fight after another. Happiness wasn't something that came naturally to him or even easily. It was a burdened that he's always carried and I would soon be adding to it. I would have given my life, no hesitation, to not have to betray him. But it wasn't my life that would be lost. It was those of the people I'd once called friends. I'm sure Sean would have done the same.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't sleep on the way home. I poured myself some wine and ate some snacks that I found in a cabinet. He slept for a while but woke up and joined me on the couch, as I was sitting up with. I could tell he wanted to talk.

"So, this marriage…" He let his words trail off, as if he was unsure exactly what he wanted to say.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to force you into something you aren't ready for, Finley. Marriage, especially this one, won't be easy. If we do this you just can't run at the first sign of trouble. The whole point of this is to stop a war, or to win if we can't avoid it. This is far from what you dreamed of."

He was right. I couldn't run. But the reasons for that were far different than he though. "I know, Sean. I understand what this means. But I meant what I said earlier. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. We're gonna win this, and we're gonna do it together."

My answer seemed to satisfy him and he leaned back, pulling me into his side. "I'm glad you're okay. You had me scared."

"Had myself scared too."

When we finally arrived home, Nick and Juliette were walking the floors. Juliette ran outside of the house to wrap me in her arms. I winced slightly at the sharp pain from my shoulder but I held on to her. She finally pulled away and sighed. "I'm so sorry we didn't protect you, Finley."

I offered a smile. "It wasn't your fault, Juliette."

Nick chose that moment to interrupt and pulled me into a gentle hug. When it was over he ran his hands down my arms and looked me over. "Are you sure you're alright?" His voice was soft and I saw the concern in his eyes. These people cared about me and I was betraying them all.

I managed to nod. "Yeah. I'm fine." My words were so far from the truth. Physically, I was okay. But mentally? I was anything but fine. I was warring against myself, a part of me just wanting to end it all. "I'm fine."

Sean wanted to talk to Nick so Juliette took me in the house, making a cup of herbal tea that would help my pain. It was obviously that she was friends with Rosalee. "Spill."

I sipped the strong tea and let the warm, bitter liquid run down my throat, already warming me from the inside. "Damien and Jean Luc grabbed me after I went to sleep. I put up a fight but Jean Luc managed to drug me anyway. They took me somewhere in France. When they were transferring me somewhere different the next day, I got lucky and saw an escape window. It was a struggle and they almost defeated me. But I guess I got lucky. Called Sean as soon as I could grab a phone."

She sighed, worry contorting her face. "You should get checked out."

"I'm okay, Juls. Seriously. I do have other news though."

Juliette raised a brow. "What?"

"I told Sean I'd marry him. I'm ready to take down the Royals."

Her face changed from worried to excited faster than I could blink. "Finn!" She squealed. "That's so exciting! A wedding!"

I held up a hand and chuckled. "Calm down, lady. It won't be a wedding. I figure we will just go to the Justice of the Peace or something. I don't want to make a big deal."

"Oh, come on. I know how you feel about each other. At least have a small ceremony."

"You realize we will probably separate after this whole war is over. This is a strategic marriage, nothing more." I told her, drinking more of the tea. It was already helping and I silently wondered what was in it.

"I will never believe that it is _just_ a strategic marriage. You're falling in love with him, Finn, and that's okay. I can see in his eyes that it isn't one sided."

"I guess we'll see. Regardless of what type of ceremony we have, I will need someone to stand with me. I was hoping you would."

"Of course I will! Are you kidding me?" Her eyes lit up. "Can we at least get you a dress?"

I groaned. I wasn't a fan of dress shopping. "Fiiiine. But it isn't going to be an actual wedding dress."

"But it will be white." She said with a grin.

The guys walked through the front door and Nick leaned down, kissing my cheek. "I hear congratulations are in order." He winked and moved around the counter, slipping an arm around Juliette's shoulders.

I rolled my eyes as I finished the drink. "You guys are making way more of this than it really is."

They just grinned. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Renard."

I hadn't really thought about it. It wasn't necessary to change my name, but would I? The name Renard carried some weight. Kooper didn't, so yeah, I guess I would be changing my name.

Sean chuckled and the sound warmed my heart. "Nick and I figured it would be better for you to move back in with me. We can have the ceremony as soon as you like."

What I couldn't tell them was that I was safe here too. No one was coming after me as long as I did what I was supposed to. And even then, it wasn't me who was in danger. "Okay. Sounds good, I guess."

My brushed Sean's when Juliette and I headed upstairs to pack. "Do you really want to get married at the courthouse, or can we plan a little ceremony maybe outside?"

Juliette's question made me smile. "Outside would be okay with me. Should probably talk to Sean though."

"Don't worry. That man would give you the world if he could." My cheek reddened at her words because I knew she was right, even if I didn't want to admit it. I could see the way he looked at me. My feelings were mutual and that's what made it hurt so badly.

I didn't answer and we packed in silence, back downstairs in minutes. Sean was waiting and he carried my stuff outside while I said goodbye. Both of them hugged me, and I could feel the relief that I was safe in the way they held me. Meeting them and knowing them was the biggest blessing that had come out of Portland. They were truly my friends.

It had felt like forever since I'd been at Sean's, and nothing had changed except for the fact he had replaced the cappuccino machine I had broken. That made me smile. I wouldn't be using the new one until he taught me how.

"Thanks for everything, Sean." I told him as he set our bags down. "I've been nothing but trouble for you since I arrived here. You just keep saving me."

He moved toward me and I almost melted as his hands slid down my arms to grab my own hands. "Stop thanking me, babe." Once again, as in France, the endearment slid from my lips. "Can't you see? I'm falling in love with you." His voice was soft but held all the command of his position. He wasn't joking.

"Sean…I-"

"Don't say anything." He interrupted. "I just wanted you to know." His lips grazed my forehead and my eyes fluttered shut. We stood like that for a moment before he stepped back. "You should get some rest."

"Y-yeah." I straightened slightly and looked toward the stairs. "Night, Sean."

Upon reaching my room, I shut the door and leaned against it. He was falling for me. I was falling for him too, but could I tell him? Once everything came to a head, I would have to leave. We could never be together after I betrayed him. I stripped and moved to the bed, crawling under the cool sheets. It was hours before I finally fell into a restless sleep.


End file.
